A Soul's Revenge
by Bakura13
Summary: (Sequel) At the start of the summer vacation, Chikara, Kaiba and her parents are involved in a desvasting car accident. The result was the death of her parents and her sanity and her life are on the line from that critical event. Plz R & R
1. Whispering Shadows

A Soul's Revenge  
  
[Here we go. The sequel for my other yugioh fanfic: The 8th millennium item. Disclaimer: don't own yugioh and the characters and-...you get the point]  
  
Chapter 1- Whispering Shadows  
  
After the ordeal with the evil spirit of Chikara's millennium item, everything was calm again and back to normal. Kaiba and Chikara starting going out and nothing else was heard about the spirit. It was about a week into summer when things starting getting a bit strange.  
  
It was the first Friday of a long summer vacation and Chikara had to get a few needles since she got out of them last time. When she missed those shots, she had come down with an illness just before school ended and her parents would not wait any longer. She had locked herself in her room and sat on her bed, holding a pillow while she looked out of the window. She leaned against the walls by the back corner of her bed, and there was a knock on the door and someone tried to turn the knob to open it.  
  
"Chikara, please come out," said her mother though the door. "You have gotten ill and it will get worse if we do not go to the doctor."  
  
"There is no way in hell that I am going. I am not getting those damned needles." Growled Chikara .  
  
"You have been in there for almost all day, Chikara. And we cannot take any chances this time." Said her mother as she sighed.  
  
Chikara muttered under her breath and put her face into the pillow. She let her mind wander about her thoughts and she thought her heard a voice...like a laugh, coming from all directions. She lifted her head a bit and looked around the room with one open eye. She heard her mother sigh and walk down the stairs.  
  
'Most likely she's gonna get my dad...wonderful..' thought Chikara as she put her face back into the pillow.  
  
Chikara heard a tap on the window. A few moments later, there were a few more taps. She put the pillow on her bed and unsteadily made it to the window. She put one hand on her desk and paused for a second, feeling dizzy. She rubbed the side of her head and walked over to the window. She pulled the window open and felt the warm summer breeze come into her room. But to her, it felt nice and cool.  
  
'I must have a fever or something.' "OW!" yelled Chikara as she held her forehead.  
  
She growled a bit when she looked down at saw Malik, who just dropped the stone that he had in his hand. Malik climbed the tree up to her window and stood on the roof, in front of her.  
  
"Man, it looked like you are about to collapse right now.." said Malik. "Let me feel your forehead for a sec."  
  
Malik outstretched his hand and touched Chikara's forehead. It felt hot and he was about to say something about it when Chikara started to fall backwards away from him.  
  
"Whoa! Hang on a sec!" yelled Malik as he climbed through the window quickly and caught her just before she hit the floor.  
  
Meanwhile, in the living room of their house, Kaiba, Bakura and Yami were downstairs sitting quietly. Their eyes rose to the ceiling when they thought they heard a yell. They all got up and ran up the stairs and stopped at Chikara's bedroom door. Kaiba was the first one there and he tried to open it. There was a click, signaling that the door was now unlocked, and Kaiba opened the door.  
  
Malik was struggling to hold the half-conscious young woman up. "What are you starting at? Help me with her! I can't hold her up by myself!"  
  
Kaiba then carried Chikara on his back and walked down the stairs carefully. When he got to the bottom of the stairs her parents walked out from the kitchen with the car keys.  
  
"She seems too sick to go to the doctors. The hospital might be a better choice." Said Kaiba.  
  
Bakura opened the door and they all walked outside.  
  
"Shouldn't we call an ambulance to take care of this?" asked Bakura as he shut the door behind them, after Malik walked after them.  
  
Kaiba just shook his head slowly "There's no time. This looks very serious and she is on the verge of unconsciousness."  
  
"Listen," started Kaiba as he carefully put Chikara in the car. "I want you three to tell the others and to tell Mokuba where I am. I'll go to the hospital and wait for you guys there"  
  
Bakura and Yami nodded as the ran off to separate directions but Malik stayed by the front door. "I'll call Isis and tell her what has happened. Then some of us will meet here then we'll go straight to the hospital."  
  
Kaiba nodded as he climbed into the car and shut the door. Chikara's father started the engine and they started to drive towards the hospital, going through stop signs if they had to. Kaiba held Chikara close to him so she wouldn't go completely unconscious. Kaiba had a feeling that something horribly wrong was going to happen. He looked out of the front windshield and saw looming building of the hospital come into view. They were almost there....just a two more blocks.  
  
A screeching sound of tires interrupted Kaiba's thoughts, then his eyes widened as a large transport truck was pulling out from a side road. Every nerve in his body froze and he held Chikara tightly and shut his eyes. He heard two frightened gasps from Chikara's parents then the sound of crunching metal, and possibly bones, filled the air.  
  
At Chikara's house, everyone was waiting for Yugi, Yami and Mokuba to arrive. Joey switched the television on and starting flipping through the channels. He went past a channel that showed emergency crews at a car crash then he immediately flipped back. Tea looked at the screen and covered her mouth in horror.  
  
"Oh my god." gasped Tea as she saw the flames covering the car and the transport.  
  
"Just recently, about 6:45 this evening, a transport truck collided with a car, that was most likely heading towards the hospital. The transport had three passengers, possibly escaped prisoners and one is presumed dead. In the other vehicle, there were 4 passengers. Two adults and two teenagers, of about the age of 15." Stated the reporter as he stepped out of the camera's way for the viewers to see.  
  
"Two teenagers..adults...No! Hell no! Chikara! That's her car!" yelled Malik just as Yami, Yugi and Mokuba walked through the door.  
  
Malik ran out of the house towards the hospital and the others followed close by. Tea and Isis stayed at the house with Mokuba, because they did not want him to see the actually scene face to face.  
  
Several moments later, the group entered the scene of twisted and burned metal, less than a block from the hospital. Malik pushed past the police officers and slammed the doors open to the hospital. He ran up to the front desk and grabbed the secretary by the collar of his shirt.  
  
"Listen, you lazy son of a bitch! Tell me what happened to the people in the car accident! Damn it! Tell me!" yelled Malik as he glared at the man.  
  
The secretary grabbed Malik's wrists and pried them off of his jacket. "Sir, you will have to sit down at wait. The victims are still in critical condition. I would ask you all please to have a seat in the waiting area."  
  
Malik went to grab the secretary again but was pulled back to the waiting area by Yami and Bakura. Four hours passed and the secretary threatened on several occasions to have Malik sedated if he did not control his anger. A surgeon finally emerged from the metal double door and took the mask off of his mouth and held it in his hand. Malik was the first one to jump up and ask questions to the surgeon.  
  
"Right now, we only allow family members to see the patients. Unfortunately, we could not save the adults and they are dead." Said the surgeon calmly as he looked at everyone.  
  
Malik's brain froze when he heard the last words 'they are dead.'.  
  
"What?..NO! THEY CAN'T BE!" yelled Malik as he clenched his hands into fists. "Chikara will be crushed! She almost lost them once! You have to be joking!"  
  
"Sir, you will have to calm down. There was nothing we could do to save them. They must of died instantly when the collision happened." Said the man as he crossed his arms behind his back.  
  
"No! I won't believe it! Get out of my way, you fool!" yelled Malik as he pushed past the surgeon and ran through the double doors.  
  
The group did not hesitate and they followed him. After a few minutes, Malik found Seto Kaiba's room and he ran in. Kaiba's chest, arms and his head were wrapped in bandages and he had bruises and cuts on his face.  
  
"What happened?!" yelled Malik as he studied Kaiba's face. "Tell me! What happened? Where is Chikara?"  
  
Kaiba winced immensely as he shook his head slowly. "Damn truck....came out of no where..it hit us just before...we came to the entrance..."  
  
Malik paused for a moment then ran out of Kaiba's room and looked for Chikara's. He started to slow down as the doors of rooms got sparser and he found an Intensive Care Unit room, with Chikara's name on the label. He opened the door and walked in. The air that he had in his throat seemed to stop and block up the airway as he saw Chikara.  
  
She was laying an a hospital bed, unconscious, and was hooked up to all sorts of hospital machines, that were beeping slowly. Her head was wrapped up in bandages and it seemed like she had a neck brace on. Her left shoulder had a cast on it and her right ankle had a hard plastic brace that covered the bandages.  
  
Her face had a long gash down the side and bruises were on her cheeks, neck and arms. Most of her chest and stomach were wrapped up and it looked like surgery was recently done.  
  
Malik shook his head and slowly walked backwards, out of her room in shock. He backed up to the opposite wall facing Chikara's room and he slid his back against the wall, sitting on the ground. He choked back a sob as he couldn't believe that it had happened.  
  
Yami and Bakura caught up to Malik and they looked at him. Malik looked like he was in complete shock as he stared into Chikara's room blankly. Yami paused for a moment the walked into Chikara room. He tensed up as he saw how bad the situation really was. He walked over to the machines and looked at the computerized screens. He noticed that there was a line that beeped each time it went up and it seemed to be slow and steady. He exited the room and Bakura looked at him, partly with hope.  
  
Yami shook his head slowly and walked back to Kaiba's room with his arms crossed. When Yami entered the room, Joey, Tristan, and Yugi looked up at him. Yugi made eye contact with his yami and he knew that something was very wrong. Yami averted his eyes away from Yugi and he leaned against the wall, in front of Kaiba's bed.  
  
"So how is she, Yami?" asked Tristan as he looked at Yami.  
  
Yami just turned his head towards the window and looked outside silently.  
  
"No, seriously, Yami. How is she doin'?" said Joey as he stood up from his chair. "She can't be in that bad of shape"  
  
"...She is not doing well. By the looks of the screens beside her bed, her chance of living could go either way." Stated Yami. And he said no more.  
  
Kaiba just stared at Yami. He couldn't...he wouldn't believe it. Chikara might actually die. Thoughts of the accident and everything that happened during that time spun through Kaiba's head rapidly, almost like a blur.  
  
She was going to die.  
  
  
  
[What a nice little start for my new story. Please review and tell me if you like this or not.] 


	2. Falling Souls

[My special little fanfic.well.it really isn't special, but oh well. This story should be darker than the other one I wrote so.yea. Disclaimer: Don't own yugioh.]  
  
Chapter 2 - Falling Souls  
  
Days then soon weeks passed, since the horrible incident. Chikara's and Kaiba's injuries had healed slightly, but the CEO was well enough to walk on his own. Kaiba, who was allowed to return home whenever he pleased, along with Yugi and the others, made their way to Chikara's room and they found that the door was closed. Malik tried to open the door, but it would not budge. He took his fist and banged on the door.  
  
"What's going on in there? Chikara, are you okay? Hello?" yelled Malik loudly as no reply came.  
  
He stepped back and looked at the door. A doctor who was walking down the hallway and stopped, looking at the group who were standing in front of the door.  
  
"Excuse me, sir. But can you tell us why this door is locked from the inside?" asked Yugi politely.  
  
The doctor just looked at them, then walked over to the door and tried to open it.  
  
"I don't know how this is possible. This door cannot be locked from the inside." Explained the doctor quickly.  
  
The doctor took a ring of keys out of his pocket and unlocked the door. They opened the door and rushed inside. The room was empty and the window was open, with the blue curtains flapping from the warm summer air.  
  
"How can this be?" said Kaiba as he walked over to the window and looked out. "We are on the second floor. She couldn't have....could she?"  
  
"Well, she was here but she sure isn't here now," said Yugi.  
  
At that precise moment, Kaiba's cell phone rang and he took it out of his trench coat pocket.  
  
"This is Seto Kaiba, and who might this be," asked Kaiba quickly as he looked out of the window.  
  
"....Seto...Kaiba..." Rasped the voice on the other end of the conversation.  
  
"Who is this?" asked Kaiba, with a slightly nervous tone in his voice.  
  
"Answer question....why did they have to...die.." said the voice slowly.  
  
Kaiba froze when the person said those words. He slowly took the cell phone away from his ear and lowered his arm. Mokuba walked up to his older brother and tugged on his sleeve.  
  
"Big brother? What's the matter?" he asked innocently.  
  
Kaiba looked down at his brother then back at the cell phone as the voice spoke up again.  
  
"They killed....so I'll kill them.." and then there was a dial tone.  
  
Kaiba had an ailing feeling in his stomach when he thought of those last words that were just said. 'They killed...so I'll kill them..'  
  
"Kaiba? Are you okay? You don't look that well," said Yugi as he looked at Kaiba nervously.  
  
"It was Chikara...she is going to kill the people that crashed into the car.." he said quietly.  
  
"Wait a minute. You can't be serious," cut in Tristan. "She's going to kill them? For sure?"  
  
Kaiba nodded silently and kept looking out of the window.  
  
"We have to find her immediately then," said Malik as he crossed his arms over his chest. "We have to find her before she gets out of control."  
  
"But where would she be?" asked Joey as he scratched the back of his head.  
  
Yami Bakura was just outside of the doorway and listened to the conversation very carefully. 'Hmm...so she has gone missing..interesting. I know exactly where she is..' And with that, he left the hospital silently, heading towards Chikara's house.  
  
When he approached the house, everything was quiet and eerie in some sense. He slowly opened the front door and walked inside. The house was silent and it looked like it hadn't been touched since the accident. He walked down the front hallway and the floor creaked, making it seem like it was warning someone that another person was in the house. He stopped at one particular door that seemed to lead to the lowest level of the house. He wrapped his hand around the doorknob and turned it. He pulled the door open and was about to walk in when his light spoke up.  
  
//Yami, what are you doing? What's going on? Where are we?// asked Bakura; he had just woken up in his soul room and he felt confused.  
  
/ Hush, Bakura. I will explain this to you in a moment. For now, just be quiet./ answered Yami Bakura as he started walking down the stairs, into the darkened basement.  
  
He stopped when he stepped on the floor and he tensed as he could feel something around him.  
  
"So, you decide to investigate on your own without the help of others.." said Shadi as he stepped out of the shadows.  
  
"And so what if that is true. I have no business with you, so leave me alone." Muttered Yami Bakura as he looked around.  
  
"If you seek the young woman, she is somewhere else. I shall show you where she is, but you must be on extreme caution." Replied Shadi as he turned around and started walking into the depths of the shadows.  
  
Yami Bakura muttered under his breath and followed the Egyptian soldier. After a few moments, he noticed that they have been walking for quite a while.  
  
"Where are you taking me anyways. This cannot be a basement of a simple house.." said Yami Bakura as he looked at the darkness that surrounded them.  
  
"Have patience, we have almost arrived." That was the answer and it was silent once again.  
  
Shadi stopped walking and turned around to face Yami Bakura. "Before we see her, there are some details that you must consider.."  
  
Yami Bakura crossed his arms and looked at Shadi. "And what do you plan on telling me.."  
  
"The state that she is in is very dangerous. There was only one time that she was like this, and she was a child. She does not have a memory of her childhood very well and it was essential that she did not know about it," Explained Shadi.  
  
"So you erased her mind somehow, correct?" asked Yami Bakura as he listened.  
  
"Yes, we had no other choice." Answered Shadi as he turned away from Yami Bakura. "The burden of it would have been too great for her to handle. But the incident that happened recently...has dug her past up once again."  
  
They continued walking until they came up to a doorway. Shadi stopped beside the door and motioned Yami Bakura that he could go inside. Yami Bakura cautiously walked inside and looked around. It was a room that was empty and Chikara was sitting in the back left corner. She sat there looking at the ground, not paying attention to anything else. Her eyes seemed distant and somewhat sad. Yami Bakura stopped 10 feet away from her.  
  
/Bakura, I need you to speak with Chikara/ said Yami Bakura through the telepathic link with his lighter half.  
  
//What's the matter with her? Does she know about her parents? // Asked Bakura quietly.  
  
/Yes, she knows. Now do what I say./ hissed Yami Bakura impatiently.  
  
The millennium ring glowed for a moment and Bakura was now standing in front of Chikara. He walked up to her and knelt down to her level.  
  
/She still had he ankle brace, the cast and everything on./ said Bakura, quietly.  
  
//Stop wasting time, Bakura, and get her moving...or at least talking/ mumbled Yami Bakura as he crossed his arms, in his soul room.  
  
"Chikara, are you all right?" said Bakura quietly.  
  
Chikara lifted her eyes from the floor and looked at Bakura, silently. She looked too sad and cold. She did not say a word and kept looking at Bakura, as if asking him to answer questions. Bakura hesitated for a moment then lifted Chikara's right arm.  
  
"Come on, we have to get you back to the hospital. You are too injured to be out like this." He said calmly.  
  
There was no answer or reaction. Bakura sighed uneasily and let go of Chikara's arm.  
  
"We have to get you out of here. What's wrong? I am very sorry about your parents, and if there is anything that I can do to help, you can just ask." Whispered Bakura. "Now we have to go back. Kaiba is waiting for you also."  
  
Chikara clenched one hand into a fists and averted her gaze back to the floor.  
  
//Wrong comment..// muttered his Yami, uneasily.  
  
Bakura thought in puzzlement. /What do you-/ and he was cut off by a hard blow to the stomach.  
  
He backed up a couple of paces and fell to his knees, clutching his stomach.  
  
Chikara slowly and unsteadily stood up, then said a few words that sounded like the rustle of dried leaves. "They killed....now I kill them...just like before." 


	3. Twisted minds

[Sorry about that last chapter cause I cut it a little short. And my computer crashed once again and this chapter is on it. So I'm typing out what I remember from the other copy and perhaps it should be longer than my last chapter. Disclaimer: Don't own Yugioh, so stop asking me!]  
  
Chapter 3 - Twisted minds  
  
Malik ran his hand through his platinum blond hair nervously and paced around the hospital room. After what Kaiba had told them about the phone call from the missing Chikara, he could not stay still and stop his mind from wondering into horrible thoughts. He clasped his hands behind his back and walked from one end of the room to the other, with his purple eyes looking at the polished tile floor.  
  
"Malik, you look really nervous. Is there something that you are not telling us? Is it about Chikara?" asked Yugi.  
  
Malik muttered under his breath then stopped pacing. He sighed quietly and looked at Yugi.  
  
"Yes, it is about her and Bakura as well. You may not have noticed, but he was posted right outside of this room. And now he is gone. And Chikara's case," started Malik. "She and we are all in grave danger. This prophecy comes with a story of her past and it is very disturbing."  
  
"So there is more to her than what you told us a couple months ago?" asked Yugi.  
  
Malik nodded and shifted his eyes to the elder Kaiba brother. "You recall hearing her say something about killing correct?"  
  
"Yes, she did say something about that. But she would never do anything like that! She wouldn't," answered Kaiba as his thoughts played back the message that she had said.  
  
Malik averted his eyes sternly to the ground and began telling his story. "Many years ago, when we were children, Chikara wanted to get back at those people that scarred her back with the dagger. She did not seem like the kind of person that would try to kill someone on purpose, but she had kept so many emotions bottled inside her, that she just...lost control. She did not come out to play one evening and her parents could not find her. They came over to our house and asked if they had seen her anywhere. My parents answered that they had seen her walk out of the market place just around the end of the afternoon. We all waited for about half an hour and still no sign of her. The sound of screaming people and the scent of a fire burning answered our questions about her disappearance."  
  
He narrowed his eyes as he continued, with the others listening intently. "Our parents went to see what all of the commotion was about and they told Isis to watch over me and not follow them. After about thirty minutes, the flames seemed to engulf many homes and I wanted to know what was going on. I eventually convinced Isis for us to see what was happening and if everyone was okay. We walked through small alleys and came up to a scene of total destruction."  
  
Malik paused and looked back up.  
  
"What are ya stoppin for, Malik? What happened?" said Joey.  
  
He stayed silent and quietly walked out of the room. He leaned his back on the wall just outside of the wall and looked up the hallway. There was no sign of Bakura and the doctors were gathered at the nurse's desk. The group walked out of the hospital room and looked at Malik.  
  
"We have to find her as soon as possible," started Malik. "Most likely the police will come here and start to question people."  
  
"Oh man! This is going to be like last time, won't it?" said Joey as he looked around nervously.  
  
"That isn't gonna happen if you stop looking so suspicious!" snapped Tristan as he slapped the blonde on the back of his head.  
  
"A 'right, A 'right. I get your point," mumbled Joey.  
  
"We should split up into groups," said Yugi to prevent the two from fighting. "Or at least pinpoint a few places that she would be."  
  
"Wouldn't she go to her house? 'Cause I know that I wouldn't want to stay here and I would want to go home," piped up Mokuba.  
  
"My sister should be watching Chikara's house," said Malik then he paused. "But if she has gone there, then Isis is in danger!"  
  
"Is it that bad?" asked Yugi as they all exited the hospital.  
  
"Yes, unfortunately it is. We have to hurry." Said Malik then he kept silent.  
  
After 10 minutes, the group reached the house and they found that the front door was open. Malik stepped inside and looked around.  
  
"Isis, are you in here?" he called out.  
  
There was no answer and Malik walked further into the house. From inside a closet, Isis could hear her brother's voice and she wanted to answer him. Her throat ached and burned so much that it just hurt to swallow, nevertheless talk. Chikara has tried to kill her and Isis had found a place to hide. The closet was small, but it was better than being choked to death by a deranged young woman who had just lost everything. She waited for a moment then opened the closet door a crack. When she saw her brother, she opened the door fully and ran over to him.  
  
"Isis! What happened to you?" asked Malik as he noticed that she was holding her neck.  
  
Isis opened her mouth to speak then winced from the burning pain in her throat as only a small squeak came out. She closed her mouth then pointed to her throat.  
  
"Do you have a sore throat? Are you sick?" asked Tristan as he tried to make out what she was trying to say.  
  
Isis shook her head then clasped Joey's neck and pretended to kill him.  
  
"You've been choking?" as Joey, and then Isis shook her head no. "You've been choked! That's it isn't it?"  
  
Isis finally nodded her head and let go of Joey's neck.  
  
"But who would do that.." asked Yugi.  
  
Isis looked at her brother and they both knew who it was. They all entered the kitchen and she picked up a pen and a piece of paper. She wrote on it for a few moments then handed it to her brother.  
  
"I came here to watch over the house as usual, then I heard someone come through the front door. I did not know who it was and I think that he went into the basement. I came back downstairs after opening the upstairs windows and the basement door was wide open, and someone was walking down the stairs. I did not know whether to confront this person or just leave them be, so I waited for several moments after locking the other doors on that floor. I went downstairs and I found Bakura lying there, completely out of breath and he looked injured." Read Malik out loud.  
  
Isis took the paper back and wrote on the other side, then she handed it back.  
  
"When I asked him who did this, he said it was Chikara. That something was wrong with her and that she is very dangerous. It was as is she did not know who he was. She looked different." Finished Malik as he put the paper onto the counter.  
  
"Did he know where Chikara went?" asked Yugi as he looked around the kitchen.  
  
Isis shook her head no and crossed her arms. The group froze as all the lights in the house suddenly switched off and the only light was the sunlight that poured through the windows. They walked into the main hallway cautiously and looked up the stairs when they heard a creaking sound. Standing at the top of the stairs was Chikara, holding a long dagger that looked like it had not been used yet. The gleaming blade reflected some of the sunlight that came through the windows of the bedrooms. Kaiba made eye contact with her and a chill when through his spine. Her eyes were almost blood red and he listened carefully, for he thought that he just heard her growl like an angry cat. Her tail slowly swung across the floor and some of her teeth were longer, shaper, like cat fangs. Her clothing was different, she wore a long black robe that had a belt on it. There were places for the daggers to be held and strapped to her back, was a case that held a long pole with a big dangerous looking blade on the end. Her necklace was gone but the golden weapon on her back answered his questions.  
  
"...Chikara?" Kaiba asked as he walked up the first step.  
  
"Kaiba! Stay away from her!" yelled Malik.  
  
"That can't be her..can it?" he said as he carefully walked up each step, closer to her.  
  
He stopped at the top of the stairs beside Chikara and looked at her. He reached out and put his hand lightly on her cheek. For a moment, he actually thought that her eyes softened up, like she was before.  
  
"Please...come back, Chikara. Please come back," whispered Kaiba.  
  
Chikara turned her head away from Kaiba's touch and walked down the stairs, towards the front door. She growled when the others blocked her path. She pulled her arm back and aimed the dagger at them. They tensed and stepped back, in fear of getting sliced with the deadly blade.  
  
"Don't go....Chikara, please don't go. I beg of you. Don't leave me alone." Said Kaiba as he looked down at her. "Please.."  
  
Chikara shut her eyes and lowered her arm.  
  
"Why...why did they have to die..they are gone," said Chikara as tears started sliding down her face.  
  
"It's okay," said Kaiba as he walked back down the stairs. "You can tell us what's wrong. We'll understand."  
  
"No you won't," muttered Chikara as she tightened her grip on the dagger. "That is what everyone says and look what happened."  
  
She growled and pushed the group away from the door and opened it. "I'm going to hunt those bastards down and murder them..just like they did to my parents. They will pay."  
  
Chikara did not look back and she ran away from the house, still leaving the dagger out in the open in her hand.  
  
"Chikara! Come back! You cannot do this!" yelled Malik, hoping to get through to her. "Damn it! She's too far. This is not good at all. We have to get her before this gets out of hand!"  
  
Kaiba watched her run away and he sighed. "I thought that I had gotten through to her. She seemed alright when I talked to her.."  
  
"Then that is probably our advantage to stop her." Said Yugi as he looked up at the older Kaiba. "You are the one that is closest to her and she seems to listen for a short moment. But we have to find the right words to stop her.."  
  
Chikara ran through alleyways, looking around angrily. She stopped at a newsstand and glanced at the front page and her eyes widened a bit. There, underneath the headline, were three pictures of jail convicts. One had a description of being killed during the collision and the others were still lose. She smirked and studied the pictures carefully, looking at every detail that the new had to offer. She took off running again, towards the harbor that had an abandoned warehouse.  
  
After 15 minutes of running through streets and alleys, Chikara came up to the door of the warehouse and slipped in through the door. It was dark except for the light that came from the middle of the massive space. She crept through the crates and boxes that littered the floor and hid behind one when she saw two men sitting at a table, playing poker.  
  
"It is a real shame that Shane has to die like that, don't you think, Kale?" asked one brown haired man as he picked up another card.  
  
"Yea, but we would have to share the cash with him if he lived. So Rick, that means more for us, and as a bonus we hit that car that was driving down the road." Snickered the other man with dirty blonde hair.  
  
Chikara smirked and walked out of the shadows, towards the table where the two men sat. The two men looked up and jumped up from the table.  
  
"Hey! That's the chick that was in the car!" said Kale as he eyed Chikara.  
  
She laughed evilly and held the dagger up in front of her face.  
  
"Now ma'am, no need to get all insane over the death of those stupid drivers." Gulped Rick as he put his hands up defensively.  
  
"You killed my parents, and it is time to pay back the debt that you owe," hissed Chikara as he lunged at one of the men.  
  
She grabbed the collar of his shirt and pressed the dagger against his neck roughly. The other man reached into his pocket and pulled out a gun, aiming it at Chikara from a distance.  
  
"Let him go or I'll shoot these bullets into your thick skull," yelled Rick as he put his finger on the trigger.  
  
"You won't shoot me. If you pull the trigger, then your friend will die." Laughed Chikara as he held her hostage in front of her. "But it shall not matter. You will both die, the price of destroying all I had left." 


	4. Tying loose ends

Chapter 4- Tying loose ends  
  
It was basically a stand off between a deranged young woman and a man with a gun. The guy in the middle did not move an inch, for Chikara was pressing the dagger dangerously close against his partly trembling neck.  
  
"Listen, ma'am, we're sorry-I'M sorry 'bout the deaths of your parents. Couldn't we just talk about this? Man to man? ER! Man to woman?" asked Kale shakily as he tried keeping his neck away from the blade.  
  
Chikara hissed and pressed the blade flatly against his neck. "One more word or move and I will turn this into your neck, letting you bleed to death."  
  
The man with the gun adjusted his grip on the trigger then fired, shooting his friend right in the chest while Chikara immediately jumped out of the way. The other man gasped sharply then his body went limp and fell in a crumpled heap on the ground. There was a small pool of blood growing on the floor from his wound as the other man reloaded the gun. Chikara looked at the dead man then raised her gaze back to the barrel of the gun.  
  
The man grinned in a cocky manner and aimed the gun at Chikara, aiming carefully and ever so slowly.  
  
"I did not need him anyways," he said slyly.  
  
He then shot the oil lamp, spewing lit oil everywhere, making the dried crates catch fire quickly. The man took the chance to escape and soon smoke and fire was everywhere. Chikara bit the end of the dagger lightly and looked around at all of the flames nervously. In each group of flames, she saw visions from her past as they seemed to be jumping out at her. She shifted her eyes around the burning room and the visions got worse.  
  
  
  
Malik paced extremely nervously in the living room of Chikara's house while the others were talking.  
  
'What are those fools waiting for?" he cursed to himself silently. 'Are they waiting until she actually kills someone? If they wait for that, then she'll try to slaughter the damned city!'  
  
Malik was so deep in his thoughts; he did not notice that his darker half had materialized behind him, smirking in the most sinister way. He grabbed Malik's shoulder and spun him around, enjoying the look of alarm on his light's face.  
  
"Now," said Yami Malik quietly. "You be a good boy and keep your pathetic mouth shut."  
  
Malik pulled back from him and watched Yami Malik warily.  
  
"First of all, that girl will not get very far without food; being more or less a mortal in her case. Second of all, as you recall, the spirit of her millennium item has....what would you call it...combined souls with Chikara, become one. She is no longer the girl that you've known, she is something else. More dangerous." Explained Yami Malik, as he smirked at the last words.  
  
Malik's eyebrow twitched slightly as his darker half reminded him of what was to come. 'How did he escape and what is his reason for coming out now?.........he seems so....calm'  
  
Yami Malik took a step towards his light half and poked his chest with one finger. "You are going to stay silent and mention nothing to the others. You will not let them leave this property until I return or you especially will regret it. No one comes in or out, understand, boy?"  
  
Malik grit his teeth lightly and nodded. He watched his darker half walk over to the window slowly, looking out at the street with half closed eyes. The millennium rod glowed in his hands as a shadow-like fog started to engulf him.  
  
He slowly looked back at Malik, smirking evilly. "Do not double-cross me, boy." Then he disappeared, with wisps of shadows floating away into nothing.  
  
Malik sighed nervously and pushed his blonde hair out of his face. He saw Isis head towards the front door and he ran in front of her, blocking the door off. Isis raised an eyebrow and looked at her younger brother.  
  
"Malik, we do not have time to play. We have to find Chikara before something happens." She said as she pushed him away from the door.  
  
Malik twitched a bit and quickly thought of something to prevent her from leaving. From the kitchen doorway, he saw the others starting to gather and look at him in confusion. He took out the millennium rod and exposed the knife from it. Malik then pointed it at Isis's neck with a trembling hand.  
  
"You cannot leave," he said slowly, not forgetting what his darker half said.  
  
Isis stepped back cautiously and eyed her brother with concern.  
  
"You cannot leave," he repeated as he locked the door. "Not yet."  
  
  
  
Meanwhile, back at the burning warehouse, fire officials were trying to get close and put out the blaze. One firefighter saw a shadow run away from the warehouse and he was preparing to chop the door open with an axe and check if anyone else was in there. He grabbed the fire axe and walked up to the door, raising it above his head. He was about to swing it down when he saw the door slowly open and a figure, that was hard to see in the smoke, seemed to be looking at him and then walked deeper into the burning warehouse. He blinked the brought the axe back down.  
  
"What are you doing over there?" yelled another firefighter impatiently, "We need more help over here!"  
  
"Uh...right! I'm coming right over!" replied the man as he looked at the doorway once more then dropped the axe and ran over to his comrades.  
  
Yami Malik smirked at the man's stupidity and walked towards the center of the warehouse, avoiding the burning crates and falling timber from the rafters. He stopped for a moment and spotted Chikara, lying on her stomach and she looked unconscious.  
  
"A little smoke inhalation cannot do too much damage," said Yami Malik to himself as he walked in front of her.  
  
He slid the toes of his right boot under her chin and tilted her head up a bit. He studied her face for a moment then took his foot away slowly, resting her head back on the ground.  
  
"Heh, she's alright." Said Yami Malik out loud as he picked Chikara up by her waist and slung her over her shoulder.  
  
"Now," he said as he looked around the burning room. "Where can I hide from the view of the soul stealer and my light...until my plan is fulfilled..."  
  
Yami Malik shifted his weight and walked over to the same door that he passed. He opened it and walked out, not seeing anyone paying attention to him. He stopped in the middle of the road and a car screeched to a stop, holding an angry driver.  
  
"What the hell are you doing, you lunatic?!" yelled the man angrily from the open car door window. "Get out of the way!"  
  
Yami Malik just smirked and took the millennium rod from his belt, then pointed it at the man.  
  
"Well what do you know," said Yami Malik as he smirked slowly. "Be a good mortal and drive us to an abandoned place, away from here."  
  
The driver complied under the influence of the millennium rod and drove the two to an old and evicted apartment building near the edge of the city. Yami Malik stepped out of the vehicle carrying Chikara in his arms and ordered the man to drive away. He kicked the old front door open and walked inside, looking around the dusty and dark building. There was some furniture that was covered in white sheets, probably forgotten. He walked up the first flight of stairs and entered one of the rooms.  
  
Chikara turned her head to the side and felt the material of Yami Malik's shirt touching her face. She slowly opened her eyes and tilted her head back, seeing him look down at her. She pushed away from him roughly but ended up falling onto the floor with sore elbows. She coughed a few times and winced a bit as her throat and chest burned. She then tried to crawl away to the other side of the room but Yami Malik grabbed her hair.  
  
"Stay put, girl!" he hissed as he tilted her head back. "You aren't going anywhere."  
  
Chikara growled slightly and tried to pull her head away, only to get a hard slap on the head.  
  
"I said still," said Yami Malik as he more or less dragged her over to a chair and made her sit down. "Now you listen to me. You have no idea in Ra what you are doing, do you?"  
  
Chikara stayed silent and watched him very carefully with her eyes.  
  
Yami Malik smirked once again. "Just as I thought. You need a few lessons in pure cruelty."  
  
He looked around the room, and then walked back towards the door.  
  
"You stay put," he added. "I will be back with something for you to drink."  
  
He left and Chikara looked around the dark and musty room semi-nervously. She stood up and walked over to a boarded up window. She took the glaive; the weapon strapped to her back, and stabbed the blade in the crack between two boards. The weapon was still warm from the fire but she managed to pull a board off. She tossed the rotting piece of wood to the side and it clanked loudly on the cold cement floor as she took a glance outside. She rubbed some of the dust that covered the broken window and looked upon the abandoned street.  
  
There was a child's laugh coming from the other side of the street and a small child and her parents walked down the street happily, ignoring how empty the neighborhood was. Chikara growled and tightened her grip around the edge of one of the boards on the window, as she observed the perfect and complete family walk.  
  
"It's not fair..." she said to herself quietly. "Fate is not fair to my soul..."  
  
Tears started to gather at the edges of her eyes and she lowered her gaze to the ground.  
  
"Why does everything go wrong," she said a bit louder, a hint of anger in her words.  
  
She started to get very jealous of the little family and she pulled the glaive back and stabbed the window, breaking most of what was left of the broken pane of glass. At the moment, Yami Malik had returned with a pitcher of water and he calmly put it on a covered table. He silently walked over to Chikara and slid a piece of the millennium rod off from the rest of the item, showing the knife. He grabbed her tightly from behind and pointed the sharp end of the blade at her neck.  
  
"I told you to be still," he whispered in her ear. "Now stop acting in that manner and you will listen what I have to say and teach you."  
  
Chikara slowly looked at Yami Malik out of the corner of her eye and growled slightly. She turned her gaze back towards the open window and saw the small family looking at the window in fear, and starting to run away.  
  
'It's not fair,' she thought to herself silently, 'No one should have a good life because of the sacrifices that were made...' 


	5. Returning to normal?

Chapter 5 - Returning to normal? [Mweeeee, lack of updates .; Sorry about that]  
  
  
  
Kaiba sat in his room of his mansion and typed on his laptop, looking like he was working. Mokuba came through the door and walked up to him, curious to see what his older brother was working on and why.  
  
"Seto, what are you doing? You aren't working again, are you?" asked Mokuba quietly.  
  
Kaiba shook his head and took a break from typing. "Instead of listening to those morons on the television, I'm doing some research of my own...And you are supposed to be in bed, Mokuba"  
  
He was about to go back to typing when the phone rang. Kaiba sighed and picked up the phone. Before he could speak the person on the other line, cut in.  
  
"K-Kaiba..." Said the voice.  
  
Kaiba's eyes widened a bit then his face went serious. 'Someone is on the same line...but why did it ring'  
  
"H-help me....p-please, Seto. I'm d-dying," cracked the voice again then it sounded like the phone had been dropped.  
  
Kaiba put the phone down and stood up, walking to the hallway.  
  
"Mokuba, stay here." He ordered as he left his room.  
  
Mokuba ran over to the doorway and looked out. "But why?"  
  
"Just do it. And lock the door." Called back Kaiba as he started walking down the stairs.  
  
Mokuba hesitated nervously and did what he was told. Kaiba reached the bottom of the stairs and scanned the hallway carefully with his eyes. It was raining that evening and a storm had brew up, making a more suspenseful atmosphere at the Kaiba mansion. He noticed the front door partly open and he closed it slowly and quietly, looking along the floor. As he expected, the one who had broke into his home had left a trail of rain soaked footsteps. Kaiba followed the path slowly and carefully, making sure that he would not be jumped unexpectedly.  
  
He ended up in the library of the mansion and he say Chikara, cut up and soaking wet, shivering on one of the large chairs with a portable phone lying on the floor. Her wet hair stuck to her forehead and face as blood from different cuts over her body bled freely and slowly. Kaiba had the immediate urge to run over to her and hug her, comfort her and take her to the hospital right away. He wanted to stroke her hair and tell her that everything will be fine. But he knew that was far from the truth. Instead, he walked over to her cautiously and looked over her carefully. Chikara didn't seem to notice him as she stared at the ground and shivered.  
  
Kaiba lightly placed his hand on her cold face and tilted it upwards slightly, ignoring the feeling of the warm blood. Her eyes were back to the soft mysterious purple as they were before, but they looked distanced and lost. A wave of relief and worry rushed through Kaiba as he carefully picked her up and carried her to one of the second floor guest rooms. Around half way up the stairs, Chikara had fainted. He quickly wrapped bandages around the bleeding wounds and went back to his room.  
  
Mokuba was sitting in the chair in front of his computer and was reading something. Kaiba opened the door and his younger brother looked up at him.  
  
"Seto, look what I found!" he said as he pointed to a news article on the laptop screen.  
  
Kaiba walked up perplexed and leaned on the back of his chair, starting to read the article. "Around noon, there was an unexpected fire that was caused from a brawl of some sort in a warehouse, say the authorities. After the fire was put out, there was a dead body found-"  
  
Kaiba stopped reading and stood up straight. "Mokuba, I want you to call Chikara's house if the others are still there. Tell them to meet a limousine in front of the house in 5 minutes."  
  
Mokuba nodded and hopped off the chair then ran out into the hallway to the downstairs kitchen. Kaiba sat down in the chair and continued skimming through the page.  
  
'This is a lot worse than I thought..' he said to himself mentally. 'If Chikara was there..then at that broken in apartment....then she isn't herself yet.'  
  
He heard Mokuba's footsteps come running up the stairs then down the hallway. Mokuba skidded to a stop when he saw Chikara lying on a bed through a slightly open door. He quietly opened the door some more and slipped inside, walking up to the bed. Mokuba cringed when he saw the blood that was starting to soak through the bandages then he jumped when Chikara opened her eyes and looked at him.  
  
"S-Seto?" yelled back Mokuba as he nervously backed up towards the door. "I-I think she's awake and h-here!"  
  
Chikara slowly sat up and tried to stand up, but was weak from beatings. Mokuba got more frightened by the second and ran out of the room with Chikara slamming the door shut right behind him. She leaned against the door and sat down, making sure the door was locked and no one could enter. Kaiba heard the slam and walked out into the hallway, only to see his brother running full speed at him, looking very frightened.  
  
"Mokuba, what happene-oof!" said Kaiba as soon as his brother ran into him.  
  
"It was Chikara! She was sleeping or something then she woke up!" whispered Mokuba. "And she was starting to get up and she looked so...scary! First it looked like she was going to throw up, then it looked like she was coming after me!"  
  
Kaiba looked up at the door to the room Chikara was in and patted Mokuba's head. "Just wait downstairs for Yugi and the others to arrive. Chikara won't hurt you or anyone else, I promise."  
  
Mokuba nodded and ran downstairs as fast as he could, trying not to look back at the room. Kaiba watched him leave then walked over to the door that Chikara locked. He knocked on the door and waited for an answer.  
  
"Chikara, I know that you are in there and awake. Can you please open the door?" asked Kaiba as he reached to turn the doorknob.  
  
He scowled a bit when the door wouldn't budge. Kaiba sighed then spoke through the door again.  
  
"Just try not to move too much because of your condition. I'm going downstairs to get you something to eat, alright?" he waited for an answer. Nothing.  
  
He shook his head and walked downstairs. By the time he got downstairs, the limousine had already pulled up and Yugi and the others walked out. Kaiba let them in and looked at them seriously. He led them into the living room and they sat down. Malik kept to himself in a corner and stood there, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed and his head slightly bowed.  
  
"As you should have probably guessed, Chikara is here and badly injured. I read in a news article that one of the two men that she was going to go after was found dead at the warehouse close to the pier." Explained Kaiba as he crossed his arm and started to pace across the room. "Right now, Chikara has locked herself in the room that I have given her and she is not coming out. She seems back to her normal self but I am not perfectly sure."  
  
Isis took the moment to glare at her brother, who just diverted his eyes in reply. "If Malik was not being so suspicious before, we could have come here sooner..."  
  
Malik muttered under his breath. "It wasn't my fault. How am I supposed to know what my yami does anyways..."  
  
"Since I tried to get her to come out with no success, I am guessing that one of you might be able to." Finished Kaiba.  
  
"But ain't you her boyfriend?" asked Joey lazily.  
  
Kaiba's cheeks started to go red and he turned away. "What happens between Chikara and I is not to be shared. This situation is more important. Now you must go one at a time and try to get her to come out of the room." He then walked off towards the kitchen.  
  
"Aright! I'm going first and I'll get her out of that damned room before any of you and this'll be straightened out in no time!" exclaimed Joey as he jumped up from his chair and strode confidently out to the second floor.  
  
Tea sweat dropped and sunk lower in her chair. "There is no way that Joey can figure this out before any of us. Besides, if Kaiba couldn't get Chikara to come out, then Joey has no chance."  
  
Joey, being his stubborn self, walked up the stairs and knocked on the door; which was the only one that was closed.  
  
"Aright, Chikara. Now you listen to me and get out of that room right now," said Joey a bit loudly.  
  
Tristan groaned when he heard the blonde yelling at the door and slapped his forehead.  
  
"Ah, come on, Chikara! Please?" pleaded Joey as he knocked on the door again. "This is making me look bad and I said to all of 'em down there that you would come out!"  
  
After a few more minutes of hearing the yelling and whining, Joey trudged back down the stairs and flopped back in his chair, unsuccessful.  
  
"Next one up," he said then he flipped the television on.  
  
Tea tried next with reasoning, but with no success. Tristan didn't bother because he was already snoring by the time Tea got back downstairs. Bakura returned unsuccessful as the rest and he shrugged his shoulders, apologizing. Yugi didn't feel like going up so he let Yami try.  
  
A few moments passed by and nothing happened. Then there was a yell from Yami and he tumbled down the stairs, landing flat on his face and a slam of a door. Everyone turned around and Yugi ran up to him.  
  
"Yami, what happened up there?" asked Yugi worriedly.  
  
Yami sat up and dust himself off, looking furious. "She opened the door a bit and I assumed that she would emerge. Little did I know that she had a pair of shears in her hand and she tried to hack at my HAIR!"  
  
He covered his hair and muttered a few Egyptian curses under his breath. Yugi sweat dropped and walked back to the living room, trying to look like he didn't know what his yami was going on about.  
  
"I'm sure she was only trying to cut it, Yami. She wouldn't hack at it like it was a wild animal," said Yugi.  
  
"Though it does look like a porcupine from over here..." said Joey to himself.  
  
In return, he got the glares from Yugi and Yami and started getting nervous.  
  
"Hey guys," he said as he put his hands up defensively. "I was only jokin! You know, talkin to myself!.........uh, guys?"  
  
The two jumped Joey and started partly beating him up with fists and pillows. Isis rolled her eyes and looked over at her more or less isolated brother.  
  
"You go up next, Malik. It was you that said not to come here." She said flatly.  
  
Malik mumbled and exited the room, heading towards the upstairs bedroom. He got up to the door and knocked on it.  
  
"Chikara, you are in there. Now will you please come out," he asked half- heartedly.  
  
There was no answer but Chikara started humming to herself and Malik could hear it. He was going to say something then paused a moment.  
  
/Yami, what did you do?/ he asked suspiciously.  
  
His Yami didn't answer but was humming as well, snickering as he went along. Malik's eye twitched as he knocked on the door again.  
  
"Chikara, stop that right now and come on out." He said flatly.  
  
Still no reply, expect for the annoying humming coming from the door and from Yami Malik's soul room.  
  
"Stop that humming! BOTH OF YOU!" yelled Malik.  
  
The whole group downstairs as they heard Malik supposedly yelling at two people and sweat dropped.  
  
"FOR RA'S SAKE! STOP THE NOISE ALREADY!" yelled Malik again.  
  
Chikara stopped for a second and glanced around her room. She stopped her gaze at the window at the other side of the room and saw Shadi standing there, looking right at her. Chikara jumped up, opened the door and slammed the door shut behind her. She held the doorknob so the door couldn't be opened from the inside.  
  
"Stay away!" she yelled.  
  
Malik blinked and sweat dropped at Chikara's appearance. Her hair was sort of messy and she looked like she trapped a murdered inside of a corner. Malik walked up to her and put his hand on her shoulder. Chikara jumped and turned around to see Malik. It took her a few moments to realize who he was then the door opened. Chikara jumped again and mostly stumbled down the stairs to the first floor, wincing each time the cuts opened. She entered the kitchen and sat in a corner, away from the doorway with a couple of drawers beside her.  
  
Kaiba looked up from his staring at the table and saw Chikara.  
  
"I thought I told you not to get up..." he said quietly.  
  
Malik had ran after her and stopped dead in his tracks at the doorway. Kaiba was standing up cautiously as Chikara reached into one of the drawers and picked up a long cutting knife. She crossed her arms and sat there, keeping her gaze at the ground.  
  
"You shouldn't be up," started Kaiba. "Look at you. We-..I'm going to bring you back to the hospital and get you fixed up."  
  
Chikara shook her head and kept her gaze at the ground, looking like she was thinking hard about something.  
  
Malik gulped nervously and watched Chikara. 'Yami, what the hell did you do to her? It was bad enough that she was crazed already. He didn't have to encourage her! She is probably thinking about those people who killed her parents...she won't let anyone near her. She is starting out with isolating then will go right for the kill. But if she gets what she wants from killing those people...is she going to go after us?'  
  
  
  
[Mwaha...another cut off ¬¬ Exams are coming up soon and I'll try to get the next chapter up by then cause I'll be studying big time. Thanks for the reviews and hopefully there will be more .] 


	6. Love or Revenge

Chapter 6 - Love or Revenge  
  
[I'm making this chapter longer because of my lack of updates...Enjoy!]  
  
The caution level was at an all time high as Chikara remained in the kitchen in silence. She tapped the blade of the knife on the wall and seemed to be waiting for something. Kaiba sat at the kitchen counter on a stool, watching her carefully.  
  
'How can this be happening...I mean, the spring break was easier to deal with,' thought Kaiba to himself as he lowered his gaze to the counter top. 'Now she wants to kill these people...I'm not surprised at all, but this is too much. Is the Chikara that I know gone for good?'  
  
He ran his fingers through his hair and looked back at Chikara once more. 'Does she remember any of us...or has the loss of her parents scarred her mind too much for her to bear. That spirit that is there is not really helping either...maybe I should put Chikara in a safer place...until this can be dealt with.'  
  
Kaiba snapped up from his thoughts and noticed that Chikara was standing up and looking out of one of the kitchen windows. There was a police car rolling up the drive with two police officers.  
  
"Oh no..." He heard himself say.  
  
He walked over to Chikara and gently tried to grab the handle of the knife. "Chikara, give me the knife. They can't see you with that or you are in more trouble than this is worth."  
  
Chikara turned and looked Kaiba in the eyes. She studied his face some, and then let go of the knife. Kaiba took no time for surprise and stuffed the knife back into its proper drawer. By the time he walked out of the kitchen, Mokuba had already opened the front door. One of the officers looked up at Kaiba and spoke to him.  
  
"Good Evening, Mister Kaiba." He said as he took off his hat. "I hope you don't mind, but we are here to ask about the disappearance of Chikara Katana."  
  
Kaiba had his hands clasped behind his back and tightened his grip some.  
  
"She disappeared from the Domino District Hospital a few days ago, as you are already aware." Continued the officer. "Do you mind if we come inside?"  
  
Kaiba's heart started beating faster and his palms became sweaty. "Yes, come in."  
  
The two officers greeted Mokuba and walked into the foyer of the mansion, with their hats in their hands. As if things could not get any worse, Chikara walked to the doorway of the kitchen and looked at the officers. "...." She watched them with some of her bangs in her face, shadowing her face enough so they could not see her eyes completely.  
  
Kaiba started to get very nervous then sighed mentally. "I found her a couple of hours ago. She came into my house in a very bad condition. I was going to take her back to the hospital but..."  
  
"But what, Mister Kaiba," said one of the officers as he eyed him.  
  
"...she is very upset about her parents. They were all she had left, sir." Said Kaiba from quick thinking, not wanting to tell the truth. "She is more than devastated. She won't even speak."  
  
The officers seemed to understand and Kaiba relaxed.  
  
"Well, for the time being, we can offer to bring Miss Katana to one of the correctional facilities. Until her mind has settled down from the loss and when the escapee is found." Said the other officer as he crossed his arms.  
  
Malik was eavesdropping from the living room then stepped out into the foyer. "You can't do that to her! You can't lock her up!"  
  
The officers looked at Malik. "Are you her brother, sir?"  
  
"No, I am a very good friend of hers." Answered Malik rather hot-headedly. "But you cannot lock her up in some mental facility. That won't help her at all!"  
  
"Sir, since there are no living relatives to make that decision, we will take her there until things are sorted out." Said one of the officers sharply.  
  
Malik clenched his fists and tried not to let himself say something that he would regret. 'Those fools don't understand! By Ra, they are going to make it worse than it already is! It is only a matter of time until Chikara finds that last killer!'  
  
He felt a hand on his shoulder and he looked beside him to see Isis.  
  
"Do not say anything, Malik." She whispered to him, keeping her eyes on the officers who went back to talking with Kaiba. "I know they are making the wrong choice. Something terrible is going to happen because of it."  
  
The officers turned towards Chikara. "Alright, miss. You are going to have to come with us."  
  
Chikara remained silent and growled quietly to herself. The officer repeated himself and started walking towards her.  
  
"Please be careful what you do, officers. Chikara doesn't really trust anyone now. Not any of us." Warned Kaiba as he eyed Chikara worriedly. 'Please, Chikara. Do not attack them. Otherwise, you'll be locked up for good.'  
  
Chikara stayed silent and eyed the police officer as he stopped within five feet of her. She cooperated with them and followed them to the front door, looking back at Kaiba through some strands of her hair. For a split second, it felt like all the blood in his body froze to a stop. Chikara narrowed her eyes slightly at Kaiba then walked out of the front door. Mokuba closed the door as soon as the three left and looked up at his big brother worriedly.  
  
"Seto," he asked. "Is Chikara gonna be alright?"  
  
Kaiba looked down at Mokuba, not really knowing how to explain it. "She just has to be by herself for a while...then she'll be okay, Mokuba..."  
  
Kaiba walked into the living room, with his brother not far behind and he started to explain what exactly was going to happen from that point on. After he was done explaining, it was almost the middle of the night and everyone was exhausted. Surprisingly to everyone else, Kaiba allowed them to sleep in his mansion for the night. Joey found that most amusing because of the kitchen and that the all powerful CEO student was letting him sleep in his own house. Around one o'clock, everyone had settled in.........almost everyone. Kaiba stayed in his room, typing at his laptop idly to keep himself busy, in the dark.  
  
Visions of the car crash flashed in his mind as he tried to continue his work. Kaiba cringed a bit as all the sounds of the crash rung clear as a bell in his head. The bending and grinding of the metal and the sound of bones snapping almost sounded too real for him to take. Kaiba stopped typing, propped his elbows on the desk quickly and rested his forehead in his hands. He saved his work and switched the computer off.  
  
"I need some sleep..." he muttered to himself as he stood up and rubbed the back of his neck.  
  
He trudged over to his bed and flopped on it lazily, not bothering to sleep under the covers. Kaiba looked at the bright red numbers on the alarm clock and scowled.  
  
'I have to get rid of that...at least it is better than the irritating ticking noise of my old alarm clock..' he thought to himself mentally as he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.  
  
The next thing Kaiba knew was the annoying beeping noise of his alarm clock and a ringing of a phone. He groaned and opened his eyes slowly, seeing that it was almost noon.  
  
"I don't believe this..." groaned Kaiba as he slammed his fist on the sleep button. "Why do they call it a sleep button when you have to get up to push it........."  
  
He sat up and picked up the phone, bringing it to his ear. "Kaiba residence...Seto Kaiba speaking..."  
  
"Mister Kaiba," said a professional-like voice with much seriousness. "I am calling you about Miss Chikara Katana."  
  
Kaiba stood up quickly and looked towards the phone. "Yes? What about her?"  
  
"Well," started the voice with an irritated sigh. "She refuses to eat or drink anything. She will not let herself sleep at all and she will not come out of her room. If we try to approach her, she will get angered and she is quite strong indeed. I was wondering if you could come over here and try to coax her to at least drink something. She is basically killing herself and we cannot get near her."  
  
Kaiba tightened his grasp on the phone until his knuckles turned white. "I will get there as soon as I can...if you could please give me the address, I would be very grateful..."  
  
"Oh, of course." Answered the voice, as he gave the address for Kaiba to write down.  
  
Kaiba hung up the phone and walked out of his room, hearing the noises of all the other guests. He walked downstairs and into the kitchen, seeing half of the people there. Mokuba looked at his brother and ran over to him, giving him a big hug.  
  
"You're awake!" said Mokuba rather happily. "I heard you at your computer last night so I told the others to let you sleep, big brother!"  
  
Kaiba nodded and tried to smile, not really succeeding.  
  
"Is something the matter?" asked Malik as he walked into the kitchen, looking more tense than usual.  
  
Kaiba shifted his gaze to a window and mumbled something.  
  
"What was that? I didn't here you. Speak up, Kaiba." Said Malik again, getting slightly more nervous.  
  
"Chikara's killing herself..." said Kaiba a bit more loudly as he grabbed a bagel from the bread box and headed to the front door.  
  
"What?!" yelled Malik loudly. "Damn it! I'm coming with you!"  
  
Kaiba stopped immediately and looked at the front door. 'Hmm...Malik has known Chikara longer than I have...maybe he knows something I don't...'  
  
He took out his cell phone and called one of his drivers to get to the mansion quickly. "Fine...just hurry up."  
  
Malik wasted no time and ran into the living room to tell Isis and the others the situation. Kaiba walked outside and crossed his arms impatiently, waiting for the limousine to pull up the driveway and for Malik to stop talking.  
  
"This couldn't get any worse..." he mumbled as the limousine drove up. "Malik, hurry up."  
  
Malik ran out of the front door and skid to a stop in front of Kaiba, looking worked up over something.  
  
"...?" Kaiba wondered what else could be wrong but he muttered to himself and got into the car. "I want you to tell me everything you are hiding from me about Chikara on the way there..."  
  
Malik nodded and got into the car as well, shutting the door.  
  
"Well," started Malik as the driver started the car again. "I cut off my story before because what I'm about to tell you is very frightening. As you already know, Chikara isn't all that normal. The darkness that lives inside of her increases and she loses more control over herself. Her yami, as we call it, is taking the chance to cause hell everywhere she can."  
  
Kaiba crossed his arms and looked at Malik. "Mhmm...and what does this mean."  
  
Malik sighed and scratched the back of his head nervously. "Okay, look. Yugi, Bakura and I have two soul rooms. One for ourselves and one for our yamis. Chikara, supposedly has two soul rooms."  
  
"Supposedly?" cut in Kaiba as he got more interested. "What do you mean by supposedly?"  
  
"Well, by the looks of it. There will be one soul room now. It will be like the soul of Chikara and her yami will become one being and not able to be separated ever again." Said Malik as he shifted his gaze to the floor. "All that there will be left is the psychotic being that she will become forever."  
  
Kaiba narrowed his eyes a bit. "Is there something else that you need to tell me before we get there?"  
  
Malik shifted uncomfortably and averted his eyes from the elder Kaiba. "Well...you are familiar with the way my yami acts...he sort of has something to do with this...he's toying with her mind and controlling her so they both can bring the world to chaos and hell."  
  
Kaiba uncrossed his arms as he thought carefully. There was not another word said for the rest of the drive. The limousine pulled up to the building where Chikara was taken and Kaiba got out quickly, his mind working on overdrive. He entered the building, followed by the silent Malik, and walked over to the front desk.  
  
The secretary looked up from her computer and adjusted the thin pair of glasses that rested on her nose. "May I help you?"  
  
"Yes, I am Seto Kaiba and I am expected to be here." Kaiba said quickly.  
  
"Ah, mister Kaiba." Said a doctor, as he walked up to the desk. "I'm glad to see that you have made it."  
  
Kaiba started getting impatient with the waiting and he got to the chase. "Where is Chikara?"  
  
The doctor nodded and started walking through a pair of double doors after they were unlocked. "This way, Mister Kaiba."  
  
Kaiba followed and looked back at Malik, who seemed to be very distracted and not really paying attention to anything.  
  
"Malik, are you coming or not?" asked Kaiba impatiently.  
  
Malik looked up and nodded quickly, then walked after Kaiba quickly, still seeming very agitated. They followed the doctor up some stairs to the second floor and to the last room on that floor. Kaiba clenched his fists nervously as he listened to the almost complete silence.  
  
"She's in here," the doctor finally said as he started writing something down in the folder.  
  
Malik looked at the folder, and then looked at Kaiba. "You go in first..."  
  
Kaiba nodded and opened the door, only to see that the lights were off and the curtains of the window were open barely. Chikara sat on the bed with her knees pulled up to her chest, and her arms wrapped around her legs as she stared out the streets. Kaiba stepped in nervously, shutting the door behind him as he watched Chikara. He noticed that she was bandaged up where her wounds were and her knuckles were white from holding her arms too tightly. He walked up beside her and thought quickly of something to say. He sat beside her and gently brushed some of her bangs away from her eyes.  
  
"Chikara..." he said quietly. "Why are you doing this?"  
  
Chikara remained silent and narrowed her eyes and she shifted her gaze to Kaiba. Her eyes were purple again, but still as evil as when they were red; a disguise for the other people. It seemed like she was full of pain yet a lot of anger was being bottled up. She shifted her gaze back to the window just as Kaiba started talking again.  
  
"Look, I know how you feel but you shouldn't do this to yourself...you are killing yourself, Chikara." Said Kaiba. "Are you really going to let yourself die, get that last man who is still loose, or put all of this behind you?"  
  
Chikara closed her eyes and turned her head away from Kaiba, still keeping silent. Kaiba sighed and clasped his hands together nervously. Did she really love him that much to listen or was she going to let her emotions control her? 


	7. Goodbye Sanity

Chapter 7 - Goodbye Sanity  
  
[Whoooo! Bwahahaha! I spent a weekend watching Japanese eps of Malik-sama and his dark half o_o now I'm on a Malik and Yami Malik high! You read the title! No more sanity! Disclaimer: I don't own ze stuff but it would be nice if I could have Malik-sama in my house o_O then I could torture the troubled person!]  
Kaiba looked at Chikara helplessly, not knowing what to do. Besides Mokuba, she was the only thing he actually cared about and wanted to protect. He gently placed his hand on her back and pulled back a bit as she stiffened.  
  
"Please Chikara...at least look at me," pleaded Kaiba.  
  
Chikara did nothing and Kaiba felt worse.  
  
"Please...forgive me," pleaded Kaiba quietly. "I'm sorry..."  
  
Those words caused Chikara to lift her head and look at Kaiba in question. What was he sorry for? Why was he to be forgiven?.........  
  
"I could have protected you...and your parents. Somehow, I could have prevented this all in some unexplainable way...just please don't be like this anymore. There are too many people that care for you!" continued Kaiba.  
  
Chikara narrowed her eyes, almost sadly and looked down at the floor in front of her, still not saying word. Kaiba attempted to put his hand on his shoulder and sighed mentally with relief, as she did not pull away. He gently stroked Chikara's head, brushing away some strands of her hair out of her face. One half of Chikara, the one that truly loved Seto Kaiba, wanted to end all of the suffering and try to get on with her life. But the other half of her was at an advantage. She would not let go of the fact that her lighter half would want to let the killer live, after all he did.  
  
Chikara closed her eyes and just accepted the comforting that the elder Kaiba was giving her. She did not care if she fell asleep, or if everything suddenly went better. She heard herself yawn a bit and lied down, using Kaiba's lap as a pillow and curled her tail around her feet. [A.N: If Tora-Kun was reading this, she would have many many comments to say about this.........I wonder if she's reading this now o_O;]  
  
For the first time, well in a long time since everything turned for the worst, Kaiba smiled and got the feeling that Chikara was going back to her normal self for real this time. No strings attached or anything else going wrong. He continued stroking Chikara's head lightly as she started falling asleep and didn't really remember the fact that Malik was still outside of the room.........and his Yami was still around.........  
  
Meanwhile, Malik was waiting in the hallway outside of Chikara's room with his arms crossed and he was leaning against a wall. He looked at the floor with half-closed eyes and some of his hair fell over his face. It had been well over ten minutes since Kaiba went in to visit Chikara and Malik was sleepy. He stayed up the entire night, trying not to freak himself out by the situation. He knew something bad was going to happen but he felt powerless. He had spent the first five minutes looking through the folder, after some negotiations, and Malik was starting to fall asleep.  
  
He yawned and rubbed his eyes with one hand, thinking to himself. 'If only there was a way to fix this problem...'  
  
Malik used his hand to shield his eyes from the lights that illuminated the hallway and looked at the floor again. As he tried to stay awake, his yami was sitting in his soul room with his shirt removed. Yami Malik lightly tapped one end of the millennium rod on the stone floor of his soul room.  
  
"It is only a matter of time..." Yami Malik said to himself as he smirked. "As soon as he is asleep, he'll be out for a good while...and that will give me plenty of time to accomplish my business for today...I am quite sure that Yami Bakura is waiting..."  
  
No sooner had he said that, Malik had started opening the door to Chikara's room, barely awake and his yami took the chance. Kaiba looked back at the door and his eyes widened as he saw the door slam open and Yami Malik grinning evilly. Kaiba jumped up, after carefully making sure that Chikara wouldn't fall off of the bed, and eyed Yami Malik cautiously, knowing that he, himself, was in no position to fight.  
  
"You........." growled Kaiba as he glanced at Chikara, then back at Yami Malik, who was starting to approach them.  
  
"Yes, always me isn't it........." answered Yami Malik rather slyly. "I've come to collect my little asset........."  
  
Kaiba slowly clenched a fist as Yami Malik stopped beside the bed. "You can't have her. Besides, you cannot get out of here without being seen."  
  
Yami Malik chuckled a bit, rather sickly and tapped the end of the millennium rod on his left hand. "Let me tell you something.........I am taking the girl with me. And second of all, you do not know her at all........."  
  
"What do you mean by that?" asked Kaiba with curiosity.  
  
"I mean by what I said. I know a hell of a lot more things about her than you will ever know........." said Yami Malik as he shifted his gaze towards Chikara. "Trust me, you pathetic mortal. She is better off with me than any of you........."  
  
Kaiba growled as the psychotic spirit firmly grasped the back of Chikara's shirt and proceeded to pick her up.  
  
"Leave her alone," snapped Kaiba as he took a step towards Yami Malik. "She's far too weak to be wandering around. Especially with the likes of you!"  
  
Yami Malik looked up with the most evil looking smirk on his face and pointed the millennium rod directly at Kaiba. "The likes of me, eh? Well.........I beg to differ......"  
  
Kaiba growled and prepared for the worst. He watched as the eye of the millennium rod glow brightly with an almost blinding white light then the next thing he felt was a force slamming him into a wall. Kaiba winced immensely as he fell back to the ground, unable to move from the intense and almost unbearable pain in his head. The last thing he heard or saw was Yami Malik laughing maniacally and picking up Chikara, who was still unaware of anything that was going on around her. Everything went quiet and dark as Kaiba blacked out, unable to stand the pain.  
  
Yami Malik walked out into the empty hallway and saw a fire alarm switch. He leaned over and read the letters, smirking.  
  
"Set off in case of emergency.........well.........for the mortals this will be hell soon enough," he said has he pulled the switch down.  
  
The fire bells started ringing on all floors of the mental hospital as all the doors unlocked. Yami Malik slipped down a stairway to the first floor, managing to avoid any people who were just surfacing from their rooms. He kicked the door open to the outside and found that the parking lot was empty, for now. He took no chance waiting and ran off of the property, not being spotted by any of the security as they tried to get everyone out of the building safely.  
  
After it was confirmed that there was no fire, one of the doctors immediately ran over to Chikara's room and saw that the door was open. He stepped inside and found the unconscious Seto Kaiba lying on the ground, with Chikara no where in sight.  
At the Kaiba residence, the others were still somewhat nervous and they all jumped when they heard the telephone ringing. Bakura was not present because he said he was going for a short walk outside.  
  
Isis picked up the phone and brought it to her ear. "Hello?"  
  
"This is the home of Mister Kaiba, correct?" asked a voice.  
  
The others started gathering around Isis. "Yes, it is, but this is Isis Ishtar speaking. What seems to be the problem?"  
  
"This concerns Mister Kaiba, Miss Chikara and we may think your brother as well. Malik Ishtar, is it?"  
  
Isis bit her bottom lip. "Yes, continue."  
  
"Apparently, Mister Kaiba and your brother had come over to visit Miss Chikara. After a while, the fire alarm was pulled and your brother and Chikara were missing. We found Seto Kaiba unconscious in Chikara's room. Well, hang on a moment. Perhaps Mister Kaiba would like to explain this better." said the voice as he handed the phone to Kaiba.  
  
"Isis!" practically yelled Kaiba. "It's Chikara! She's gone! And your brother, I mean the spirit! Whatever he is! He's taken her!"  
  
"Calm down," said Isis quickly, starting to get worried. "I knew something bad was going to happen and we have to find my brother immediately. Chikara is very vulnerable right now in the state that she's in. He'll soon be able to make her do whatever he wants."  
  
"What do you mean by that?!" asked Kaiba, getting very agitated. "Why is no one filling me in on any of this!?"  
  
"Just meet us outside of your mansion and I'll explain everything. This will shock you but you must know." said Isis as she glanced at all the others.  
  
Kaiba inhaled slowly then spoke in the phone very quietly. "Fine." Then he hung up.  
  
Isis hung up the phone then something hit her suddenly. Her eyes widened and she looked at Yugi.  
  
"Where is Bakura?" she asked quickly, hoping that she was wrong.  
  
"He's not back yet, why?" asked Yugi, starting to get nervous as well.  
  
"Damn it!" cursed Isis. "Did he say where he was going?"  
  
"N-no. Is something wrong?" asked Yugi as he sort of leaned back from Isis' cursing.  
  
"Alright, listen up! Everyone get moving and we must meet Kaiba in front of his mansion immediately. I'll need your complete cooperation for these next few moments. At the second, please refrain from asking any questions. I'll explain all of this in due time." [A.N: Alright, I got these next ideas from a very odd dream I had and it gave me an inspiration o_O; Just to warn you, it will be a little odd and have sort of a twist to it all .; ANYWAYS.........just saying that my mind is a little overactive sometimes when I'm not o_o]  
Yami Malik brought Chikara back to her own home, without her even waking up. He sat in one of the chairs in the living room in the dark with Chikara sitting on his lap, still sleeping and unaware of anything that was going on. He had his eyes closed and one arm protectively around her waist, with the other lightly holding her by her left shoulder diagonally across her stomach and chest.  
  
'These clueless mortals.........' he thought to himself silently as he waited for Yami Bakura to arrive. 'They know nothing about her power.........what she is or how she's even like. Unlike them, I know many things about her......'  
  
The front door of the house quietly opened then it was shut. Yami Malik knew who was in the house and waited patiently as the footsteps came into the room.  
  
"So you made it after all, my good friend........." he said quietly, being careful not to wake Chikara up.  
  
"Yes, I did. Do you doubt my ability to fool the mortals?" asked Yami Bakura with slight bitterness, as he walked out from behind the chair. "And I do not really enjoy being called your friend.........considering what you did to me in Battle City."  
  
Yami Malik opened his eyes half way and looked at Yami Bakura. "That was then.........this is now. Now is the time to get revenge on those pathetic mortals.........and show them what real fear is."  
  
"You are aware that I could backstab you at any time........." said Yami Bakura slyly as he started pacing around the room.  
  
"If I didn't trust you enough, then I wouldn't have called you, now would I?" answered Yami Malik, smirking.  
  
"Another point taken," said Yami Bakura as he leaned against a wall, crossing his arms. "What exactly do you have planned for the girl.........from the looks of things, you look pretty comfortable and you are enjoying yourself."  
  
Yami Malik chose to slightly ignore that comment. "You and I are both aware of the state she's in. Her mind and soul are extremely fragile and lost. We are going to set her straight and get our long deserved revenge. After the Battle City Tournament, I have been thinking long and hard.........Chikara has many powers. Ones which may bring this world and the shadow world as one, causing chaos and complete sheer torture to these blind mortals."  
  
Yami Bakura nodded. "I like the idea so far...but how are you so confident that the girl will agree to do this..."  
  
"I would not worry about that..." said Yami Malik as he looked at Chikara's face. "She is too weak at the moment and I know for a fact that she will not allow her sacrifices to go disregarded for...an eye for an eye, basically."  
  
He lightly rested his chin on Chikara's left shoulder and sat back, holding her somewhat protectively.  
  
"So you are claiming her, are you not?" asked Yami Bakura. "You seem to be very possessive of the girl at the moment..."  
  
"If you must think that then go ahead. I am merely protecting her from the foolish mortals that let her kill herself." Stated Yami Malik flatly.  
Back outside of Kaiba's mansion, the group waited sort of impatiently for Kaiba's limousine to arrive. Isis turned towards the group and started splitting them up.  
  
"Alright. Joey, Tristan, and Mokuba. I want you three to see if you can check out that abandoned apartment building that was broken into a few days ago. Most likely, that's where my brother took Chikara before and try to find any clues, alright? If they are there, come straight back to the mansion, understand?" explained Isis.  
  
"You got it," said Tristan and Joey.  
  
"When my brother comes, tell him to be careful, okay?" asked Mokuba.  
  
"Don't worry. I'll tell him that and I'm sure that he won't let anything happen to him." answered Isis nicely. "Now you three run along and remember what I told you!"  
  
Isis watched the three start running to where were supposed to be then she looked back at the remaining people.  
  
"Okay. Now Yugi, Yami and Tea. You three will come with Seto and I. For sure, Yami will want to hear this story." Explained Isis as she saw the black limousine pull up.  
  
They all piled in and Kaiba was sitting hunched over, and completely nervous. He looked up at Isis.  
  
"Explain everything to me," he said solemnly.  
  
"First off, get your driver to take us to Chikara's house. But don't be too much in a rush. I have to tell you everything before we get there and I fear that my brother, Bakura and Chikara are there." Cut in Isis.  
  
Kaiba nodded at the driver and he started pulling away from the Kaiba mansion.  
  
"Alright. You do remember just before the Battle City Tournament, I told you about the millennium items and that you and Yugi were destined to fight a great battle once again, correct?" started Isis.  
  
Kaiba nodded and crossed his arms. "Yes, what about it?"  
  
Isis inhaled slowly then started explaining again. "Okay. Back in ancient Egypt, you were the priest with the millennium rod. But, my brother has the millennium rod and he will not give it up at all costs. And right there in that flaw is the problem."  
  
"What problem?" asked Yugi as he sort of grew more interested in the tale.  
  
"The problem is that Chikara, well; the spirit in her millennium item also knew the priest well in her life. Stories have it that the two were inseparable and they loved each other very dearly. Just like in the present, Kaiba and Chikara do care for each other very much. It was fate that brought them together and it will be fate to tear them apart." Continued Isis.  
  
"Wait a moment. What do you mean that they will be torn apart?" asked Yami in question. "I do not understand."  
  
Isis sighed. "Legends have it that the one that the priest loved was killed. She insisted on fighting with the men when they went out for battle but she got too careless one day. She was returned to the priest in horrible condition with a stomach wound so dreadful, it could not be healed. The priest stayed by her side until the day that she was at peace, in his arms. But this sad legend had a surprising twist. The day before her burial, her body was taken, stolen if you will, and she was somehow revived. It took the priest a long time to find out that she was living but she was turned for the evil side. She had many magical powers that could bring the world into chaos and destruction. Some of them were actually bringing the monsters to life and causing unexplainable fires and so on so forth. The priest, not wanting to lose his long lost love again, decided to join her and overthrow the pharaoh. Together, they were going to overthrow the pharaoh and the priest would be crowned the new pharaoh of Egypt, bringing chaos and darkness to rule over its people."  
  
"So, that tablet you showed us before," cut in Tea. "It showed the battle between Yami and Kaiba! But that means..."  
  
"Malik's Yami is taking back what he thinks is rightfully his and is going to repeat history once again. He will stop at nothing to attain his goals to rid this world of Yami and become powerful." Concluded Isis. "Since the spirit of Chikara's millennium item is purely evil, the Chikara that you and all of us know will be absorbed within overwhelming evil and she will be lost. We must prevent this from happening or the world is doomed, with no way out."  
  
"...Chikara is completely helpless right now! She's too weak for anything and she might die," said Kaiba to himself.  
  
"We must separate Yami Malik from Chikara as soon as possible. Yami Bakura is probably being tricked into assisting him and we have to stop this before it gets any worse." Said Isis as the limousine stopped outside of Chikara's house.  
[And that's chapter 7 for you o_O; I hope you liked that one, tell me what you think about it and I'm starting the next chapter as soon as possible .] 


	8. A Lifeline, the Knife and Death

Chapter 8 - A Lifeline, the Knife and Death  
  
[Thanks for the reviews ^^ and sorry for the wait! I bashed my elbow really hard a while ago and it had swollen up, and it was quite hard to bend it .o But it feels a bit better now so I'm typing this as fast as I can. This chapter will switch point of views quite a bit so enjoy. Disclaimer: I don't know any of that STUFF o_O]  
  
Yugi, Yami, Seto, Tea and Isis carefully got out of the limousine, keeping their senses on full guard. Kaiba approached the front door first and slowly, but carefully, opened the door. The house was pretty much close to dead silent as the group cautiously walked inside. They all jumped when the front door slammed shut and Yami Bakura stood there with his arms crossed, smirking.  
  
"Bakura!" said Yugi as he thought he saw his friend.  
  
"Wrong, mortal." Sneered Yami Bakura as he uncrossed his arms.  
  
"Where's my brother and Chikara?" asked Isis as she eyed Yami Bakura cautiously.  
  
"They are out on a little hunting expedition...it's a shame really, that they didn't take me along..." sighed Yami Bakura.  
  
"Hunting expedition?" said Kaiba to himself. "Wait a minute. She's going after the killer, isn't she?!"  
  
"Correct," snickered Yami Bakura. "And it would be quite rude if any of you interfered...there would be a lot of damage done for disturbing the hunt."  
  
"You don't understand, tomb robber." Said Yami as he narrowed his eyes at him. "If we don't stop this, Chikara could end up dead and this world would be plunged into chaos and an era of darkness. Yami Malik will backstab you."  
  
Yami Bakura just shrugged and laughed. "Does it look like I care? I have nothing to lose, really."  
  
"You should care!" said Tea. "You two are just plain sick! What did you do to her?"  
  
"Nothing really," he replied mysteriously. "Being as vulnerable as she was, it was not very hard to...convince her over to her true side. She was never meant to be calm and innocent. Yet she is confused."  
  
"She was meant to be herself. No one else. Just because the spirit within her millennium item is a little overactive, does not mean that Chikara cannot live like the rest of us." Growled Yami.  
  
"Say what you want, Pharaoh. It is already too late for you all to do anything. As we speak, the two are hunting down the remaining gunman and are going for the kill, and then the real fun begins." Replied Yami Bakura in a low and dangerous tone. "And if you choose to disapprove of this and take action against it...you will be all locked in the shadow realm for all eternity!"  
  
*~*~*~ Chikara's point of view~*~*~*  
  
Running. That's what is happening. We're running. Oh how I love the feeling of the warm mid-summer air brush by me. How long have we been running? I don't know...perhaps an hour, maybe more? But I do not feel tired, exhausted, nor worn out. I feel...free, like the rarest bird in all of Egypt being set free to find its own destiny. Destiny...I have no destiny, do I? Perhaps I do. This world is so calm, yet simple. It needs a ruler. It needs order. An order of complete destruction and chaos, that is.  
  
A few flashes of lightning and dark clouds gather around? A storm...how I love the power of a lightning storm. It is so free, so powerful to do whatever it pleases. The mortal humans are so restricted with their power. They do not possess magic. They do not possess much power. Only enough to bluff and think they can control the world. Mortals...am I human? I feel so cornered. I have limits. Yet it feels like another side of me has all the power that can be grasped. Shall I turn to that side to help me? I'm so confused...  
  
My friend, my platinum-coloured hair friend. He calls my name and he stops running. I follow in suit and glance around. Many, many buildings. No mortals around. They have no tolerance for the pelting, yet gentle rain that cleanses this place. Then it hits me. The pain from the running and the cuts all over my body start to ache. I feel sick. My stomach churns. The rain soaks my hair and it sticks to the back of my neck and the sides of my face. I suddenly feel cold. Ice cold.  
  
Something is wrong, but I do not know what it is...it hurts and I'm cold. His blue lavender eyes watch me carefully. He seems to know what's going on. I look in a shop window, seeing my reflection in a mirror that is on display. Is that really me? My eyes...they are the colour of blood. My face...it looks deathly pale. Am I dead? My cloak is torn at the shoulders. I have no sleeves. The blood that rushes through my veins is hurting me. It pounds against the closed wounds on my arms.  
  
I look in the mirror more. Something else is there. Something...innocent. I press my hands lightly against the glass pane of the window, looking closer at the mirror. Was I always like this? No...I was happy before. Before...those bastards killed my parents. I was helpless...powerless to do anything. But now I'm not. I can kill the remaining one that does not care. Seemingly has no emotion. The scent of his blood is still fresh. He was wounded. He cannot hide from me. He is going to die...and die, he will...  
  
*~*~*~ Yami Malik's point of view~*~*~*~  
  
I only understand her. No one else does. Not even the tomb robber, the pharaoh, nor does the rich boy. I've known her longer. I know her power. I know her weaknesses. She will be by my side as this world will be mine. Revenge will be sweet, and it will be plentiful. Not one will stand a chance against us. They will not oppose, nor will they have the strength to attempt to overthrow. I felt a smirk appear on my face as I watched the poor girl. She is so lost. She lost everything to her. But I will help her. Help her find her true nature. Her true side...of evil.  
  
My light is stirring within his soul room. Trapped within four walls. His weaknesses grants me great power. He is aware of what is going on, and can do nothing to prevent it. He can only watch, powerless, as the world he once tried to conquer, falls under the power of his dark half and the sorceress. A mere mortal does not comprehend the fate that will be bestowed upon their lives. I walk over to the lost girl, placing one of my hands lightly on her shoulder. I will guide her and help her get through this. It means the death of many pathetic mortals. They are all going to die...by the hand of my little desert flower. [A.N: I did NOT just type that o_o;]  
  
*~*~*~ End of point of a view, and scene changes to Joey, Tristan and Mokuba~*~*~*~  
  
Joey sighed and kicked a piece of broken wood across the floor of the abandoned apartment building. The three had managed to get inside without being seen and so far, they found nothing. Tristan leaned against a wall with his arms crossed, while Mokuba still snooped around, trying to find something or ANYTHING useful.  
  
"There's nothing here." Mumbled Joey as he stopped kicking. "Isis only sent us here away from the action. I ain't no babysitter."  
  
"Hey guys, come here quick!" yelled Mokuba from another room.  
  
The two boys looked at each other, shrugged and ran to where Mokuba's voice came from. Joey skidded to a stop as soon as he stepped into the room.  
  
"What the hell!?" he said as he looked around.  
  
The walls had random burn spots all over, the floor had trails of blood and there were odd carvings.  
  
"What the hell happened here?" asked Tristan to no one in particular as he stepped back from some of the blood.  
  
"This must be Chikara's blood!" said Mokuba as he thought for a while. "Seto said that she was at our house and she was in bad condition...she must have been cut up!"  
  
"That's just...but...Aw, GROSS!" complained Joey. "Let's get outta here!"  
  
The three turned to leave then they noticed the entrance was blocked off and a pistol was being pointed at them. "No one is going anywhere..."  
  
Yami Malik stood in front of the store with Chikara for a while longer until he was finally getting sick of the rain. Even though he wanted to destroy this world, and cause hell, he didn't want to stand in the rain for the whole entire time...watching a girl mindlessly gaze into a mirror in pure confusion. He growled as he could hear his light's protests from his soul room. He squeezed Chikara's shoulder a bit and somewhat glared at himself in the mirror.  
  
//I am only going to tell you this once, boy! Shut up or else! // hissed Yami Malik through the link.  
  
/You can't do this, yami! I won't let you! Chikara has been tortured enough, damn it! And she doesn't need YOU stalking her everywhere she goes and trying to control her! / snapped Malik.  
  
Yami Malik growled then burst out laughing, psychotically. He gently patted Chikara on the head and smirked at himself in the mirror. //I'm afraid that you are too late, my pathetic light. She's already mine. //  
  
/You are going to get her killed-/  
  
//SILENCE!// barked Yami Malik to his lighter half. // I will hear no more of your insolent whining! IF I happen to hear any more, then you are the second one to die! //  
  
Malik bit his lip nervously and stayed silent in his soul room, knowing he was powerless to do anything. But he had to do something! Meanwhile, Yami Malik looked back at Chikara but she was no longer there. He looked around, getting very annoyed at the constant rain that poured down on him.  
  
"Damn it!" muttered Yami Malik as he glanced around again. "Where the hell did she go!?"  
  
Then he spotted Chikara as she ran around a corner, back towards the direction of the abandoned apartment building. He wondered why she left without notice and in such a hurry but he followed her, not wanting to lose track of her and he wanted to know exactly WHAT she was running after. After a few moments, and as he suspected, they had both arrived in front of the apartment buildings. He could hear some noise from the interior of the building and glanced at Chikara as she approached the building with stealth. Yami Malik was aware that the armed murderer would be inside of the building and found it quite interesting to think of what Chikara would to do him once she got inside.  
  
"The final showdown...how pleasant," he said to himself as he started walking after Chikara.  
  
As that was happening, the gunman ordered Mokuba, Tristan and Joey into a corner, pointing the gun at them.  
  
"Get a move on, brats! Try anything funny and these lovely walls will be painted a new colour." he sneered. "The colour of your BLOOD!"  
  
Mokuba backed off as far as he could and as secretly as he could, tried to press a button on the cell phone that he had attached to his back pocket.  
  
'Where is the panic button?!' he thought frantically as he kept his eyes on the gunman.  
  
"HEY! What the hell are you doing, kid!?" yelled the gunman as he noticed Mokuba's movement.  
  
Mokuba jumped back, and into the corner, putting his arms back at his sides. "Nothing, you big creep! When the police find out what you are doing, you are really going to get it! Even worse if my big brother finds you!"  
  
"Shut up or I'll kill ya!" snarled the gunman as he aimed the gun at Mokuba.  
  
Joey stood in front of Mokuba, nervous as hell as he did his best to protect the younger boy. "'ey. Take it easy. The little kid can't do anything to ya, even if he wanted to!"  
  
Mokuba was about to yell back in protest but he took the small moment to look for the panic button on his cell phone. With luck on his side, he found it and pressed it a couple of times.  
  
'Please, big brother! Please come and help us!' Mokuba pleaded silently as he put his arms at his sides and stayed hidden behind Joey.  
  
Back at Chikara's home, the group was still trapped inside and Yami Bakura did not let them out his sight. Kaiba was about to try a way to escape when his cell phone made a few beeping noises. He picked it up, frustrated, and answered it.  
  
"What is it!?" he snapped angrily, glaring ice at the white haired yami; who watched him cautiously.  
  
"Mister Kaiba, sir. There were a few emergency signals that trace back to Mokuba Kaiba's cell phone. We tracked it on the satellite and he is located where the incident happened with the police and the empty apartment buildings." explained one of Kaiba's servants. "By the looks of it, it seems very urgent and crucial that you get there as fast as possible."  
  
"...Mokuba..." said Kaiba quietly, lowering his arm.  
  
Yugi bit his lip nervously, realizing that Joey and Tristan were with Mokuba and they were most likely in great danger.  
  
"Move it, tomb robber! We don't have time for your childish games! Lives are at stake and we're not going to let you get in our way of saving them!" growled Yami as he clenched his hands into tight fists.  
  
"Well isn't that a pity. A few worthless lives of a mutt, a moron and a brat. Personally, I could not care less and I can already picture the looks on your pathetic faces when you see their dead bo-ARGH!"  
  
Yami Bakura's eye twitched as he stood somewhat half hunched over, with his stomach just being punched quite hard.  
  
"We either do this the easy way or the hard way. Right now, I have to save my brother and get Chikara away from Malik." Growled Kaiba as he strode past the winded yami and walked out of the house.  
  
The others followed the CEO student, but Tea stayed behind; since Yami Bakura had let his light take over once again. It might have not been a wise choice, but the others were needed more at the location where the hostages were. Kaiba climbed into the limousine quickly and ordered the driver to take the group to the somewhat outskirts of the city, where Mokuba's signal came from. As soon as Yugi, the last one to enter the vehicle, closed the door, the limo took off.  
  
Kaiba nervously, yet angrily tapped his fingers on the inside of the door as he looked at the scenery that rushed by him. Judging by what one of his employees had said, Mokuba must have been in great danger.  
  
'The last gunman...it must have been him that was there!' scowled Kaiba silently. 'He must be holding Mokuba hostage to get to Chikara! I don't like that fact that she is hanging around with the psychotic freak, Malik...or his yami, at least...I swear, if anything happens to Chikara, I'm going to kill Malik with my own bare hands. With or without any weapons...'  
  
Several moments later, the limousine pulled up to the somewhat rundown neighborhood and he jumped out of the vehicle, surveying the area for any police officials or any innocent by-standers. He found no one and started heading towards the broken front door when he heard a shot go off, and some yelling from the higher floors. He grit his teeth and carefully made his way inside of the building, being quick but not wanting to be caught within the line of fire.  
  
Isis, Yami and Yugi stepped out of the limousine, watching the determined Kaiba run head-on into the building. Yugi was about to follow but he was stopped by a strong hand on his shoulder. He turned his head and looked up at his yami.  
  
"Yugi, I don't want you going in there. It is too dangerous and I don't want anything happening to you. I want you to stay out here." Explained Yami.  
  
"But...what if something happens? I can help really, Yami!" protested Yugi.  
  
"All that I ask for is for you to keep yourself safe. If the situation gets out of hand, you can get away quite quickly. That is all I ask for." Said Yami a bit more quietly. "We will return soon. With Mokuba, Chikara and our friends."  
  
Yugi nodded, but he really wanted to help with the others. He watched as Isis and his yami walk towards the building, keeping their guard up. He sat back in the vehicle and waited patiently, hoping that nothing terrible would happen. It was a shame that some things could not be resolved that easily. All Yugi could do was stay back and hope.  
  
Inside of the building, the gunman was shooting at Chikara each time when she tried to attack him with a dagger. There was much risk in this stand off. The hostages, Mokuba, Joey and Tristan, were still in great danger themselves. One, they could not escape their corner and two...Yami Malik was standing in the doorway with his arms crossed, watching the two somewhat crazy people go at each other. It was a fight that he did not want to miss, nor interrupted. His own psychotic thoughts were interrupted when Kaiba came storming up the stairs and pushed him forward. Yami Malik looked back at Kaiba and smirked.  
  
'Well, this just keeps getting better and better.' He chuckled to himself mentally.  
  
The gunman suddenly shot the gun and the bullet went into Chikara's right shoulder. Chikara dropped her bladed weapon and grasped her shoulder with her other hand, trying not to yell out of sheer pain. She was rendered somewhat helpless now.  
  
"What the hell is going on!?" yelled out Kaiba as he took a step into the room. "This has to stop right now!"  
  
The gun barrel was rested on Chikara's side as she was taken as the new hostage. "This will stop when I fucking well tell it to stop! This little bitch has caused me a lot of trouble and a few good men. The bank heist almost went PERFECTLY but it got screwed up with her car ramming into our getaway truck!"  
  
"Look it, you bastard!" snapped Kaiba angrily. "You killed both of her parents! She's not...not SANE anymore because of you and your friends! She has EVERY right in the world to kill you! Sniveling cowards such as you do not even deserve to live!"  
  
"Big words for a guy who is about to watch this bitch die." Spat out the gunman as he adjusted his grip on the trigger, threatening to pull it.  
  
"You wouldn't dare! If you even try it, I am going to kill you with my own hands! IF you hurt a hair on my brother's head OR hurt Chikara, you are as good as dead!" hissed Kaiba, the rage building up inside of him more.  
  
"Go ahead and try it, rich boy!" yelled the gunman as he just pulled the trigger and shot Chikara in the side, watching the bullet came out of her stomach.  
  
The room was silent, except the echo of the shot as most of them stood silently. Kaiba, as well as the others, watched in horror and shock as Chikara was pushed forward and she fell face first into the ground, her free hand twitching slightly as the wound in her side and her shoulder started bleeding quite a bit. Yami Malik furrowed his eyebrows and watched the elder Kaiba run over to Chikara, ignoring the fact that the gunman could still be loaded with ammunition.  
  
'That boy really cares about her...no matter what she is...' thought Yami Malik to himself as he shifted his gaze back to the gunman and frowned. 'Maybe I'll do the mortals a favor...it would benefit all of us...mostly me.'  
  
Yami Malik smirked and looked as evil as he did before, in battle city. He took out the millennium rod and slid the end off of it, revealing the sharp knife. He started approaching the gunman, smirking evilly and psychotically once again. At that moment, the target was unaware of his hunter as he tried to reload the pistol as quickly as he could. The next thing that he knew was that a blade was brutally stabbed into his chest. He looked up and saw the psychotic spirit smirking down at him.  
  
"Next stop...the underworld..." hissed Yami Malik.  
  
He tore the knife out of the gunman's chest and watched as the gunman dropped his pistol and grasped his chest, trying to stop the profusely bleeding wound in his chest.  
  
'Deep enough to kill him, yet shaped like he shot himself...' chuckled Yami Malik to himself as he watched the wounded man slowly and painfully die. 'I'm going to regret doing a good deed for the mortals...but at least I got to kill one of them...'  
  
Mokuba ran up to his big brother and looked at him, with fear in his eyes. "Seto, is she gonna be okay?"  
  
Kaiba took off his trench coat and wrapped it around Chikara, turning her onto her back and looking at her face frantically. 'Oh god, she can't die. I can't believe this is like what Isis said...she can't die...'  
  
"Mokuba, phone the paramedics immediately and go outside to Yugi." Said Kaiba quietly as he started hugging Chikara, not too tightly to make her wounds bleed more.  
  
"Please don't die, Chikara...come on...stay with me," whispered Kaiba quietly, hoping that she would at least open her eyes.  
  
'Her face is too pale...' thought Kaiba, fearing for the worse.  
  
Mokuba ran outside as fast as he could towards the parked limousine. "Yugi! Tell the driver to call 911! Chikara's been shot! Twice! Hurry, Yugi! Phone them!"  
  
Yugi's eyes widened at the sudden news and leaned into the car. "You heard, Mokuba, sir! Can you please call some paramedics? This sounds really serious!"  
  
A few moments later, ambulance sirens were heard and the emergency vehicles were seen up the empty street.  
  
[By Ra, I'm bad with updates -_- I just finished this now and I've been sick and depressed for a week. So I apologize for the complete lack of effort that I've made to post updates for my stories. This chapter was made longer because of it. So...I hope you enjoyed the chapter and stuff and I'll try to post the next one as soon as possible.] 


	9. Was it really worth it?

Chapter 9 - Was it really worth it?  
  
[Kweh! O_o ANYWAYS...Thanks for the reviews once again and sorry for any  
delay ^^; after this story is finished, I am working on some more. A  
humorous one titled: Yami Malik's Job Hunt!, A collection of songfics called Different Shades of Tears, and a story taken back to Ancient Egypt with the pasts of basically all of the yamis and such then it switches to  
the time when each person receives their respective item. And Chikara  
might make a little appearance in the job hunt story; meaning that the events in this story sort of tie into the humor story ^^; In the meantime,  
happy reading! ]  
  
The abandoned street that was mainly quiet, was now loud and crowded with emergency vehicles. The paramedics found it quite difficult to reach the second floor of the apartment building with it being closed off, without electricity. When they reached the second floor, they immediately rushed towards Chikara and pushed everyone else back.  
  
"Alright, everyone get out of here and stay outside while we bring her to a stretcher!" yelled one of the paramedics as the other radioed the ambulance to be on stand-by.  
  
Kaiba was pushed back and watched helplessly as the paramedic officials tried to stop the wounds from bleeding. He turned his attention to the recently murdered gunman and shuddered a bit; seeing that Yami Malik was still in the same room, looking as...well calm and surprised as possible. One of the paramedics followed his gaze and saw the dead man, then immediately rushed over to him, checking for signs of life. As expected from the others, there was no sign at all. He was surely dead and they would probably be questioned at the police station.  
  
Joey and Tristan started pushing Kaiba back towards the stairs and to the outside, with Yami following.  
  
"C'mon, Kaiba. We can't stay in here and you know that." Said Joey in a low tone. "Just...get outside."  
  
Kaiba stayed silent and allowed himself to be guided outside, while looking back at the doorway. Yami Malik walked past them, and continued having a mental debate with his light.  
  
/ I can't believe you did that, yami! / yelled Malik. / Do you know how much trouble we're all gonna be in if they find out what really happened!? /  
  
// What the hell is your problem now, boy? // growled Yami Malik. // I helped her get rid of that bastard that murdered her parents and the authorities have no idea that it was any of us. //  
  
/ But what about Chikara?? Hm? Did you think of that?! Her yami and herself might be one person forever! / snapped Malik angrily as he stood in his soul room.  
  
// Oh stop complaining already! You are giving me a Ra damned headache! She will be fine, to some degree. // muttered Yami Malik as he got more annoyed.  
  
/ To SOME degree? What the hell is that supposed to imply!?/  
  
// To SOME degree meaning that she won't be consciously aware of her yami, Sanura, anymore. And also, she will not remember seeing me kill off that bastard right in front of her, if she was watching. Now shut the hell up and let me return to my soul room. //  
  
Malik was soon back in control of his body and looked around, seeing the ambulances and the group outside. He saw the paramedics put Chikara on a stretcher then put it in the ambulance.  
  
'Ra damn it...why did this happen. This is going to be horrible to explain.' Sighed Malik to himself as he walked over towards Yami.  
  
Yami looked up and narrowed his eyes slightly as he comforted his light.  
  
"Yami-...nevermind." Muttered Malik as he walked off. 'No point in explaining...'  
  
Malik thought for a while and watched Kaiba, as he simply stared at the ambulance, not bothering to go with Chikara. 'I guess that I'll go...'  
  
// It would be a good idea...during that time, I can make sure that nothing else will happen with Chikara or her yami. //  
  
/ But... /  
  
// Just go, boy! I have to make sure that there are no permanent damages from what happened! GO! // Snapped Yami Malik.  
  
Malik sighed and walked up to one of the paramedics. "May I go with her? I'm one of her closest friends and I've known her for a very long time."  
  
The paramedic turned around and looked at Malik carefully. "Alright, son. But stay out of our way, you hear?"  
  
Malik nodded and climbed into the ambulance, sitting beside Chikara. The paramedic shut the door and the ambulance drove towards the hospital.  
  
/I just thought of something.../  
  
//Ugh, what is it now, boy? // growled Yami Malik. //What in the hells are you bothering me about now? //  
  
/What if Chikara does not live through this? I mean, these paramedics look like they are having a hard time right now and she was shot twice, wasn't she? / asked Malik quietly.  
  
His darker half sighed. //Just don't bother worrying yourself about anything. I am mostly sure that nothing will happen; now leave me alone and be QUIET! //  
  
Malik bit his lip nervously and stayed silent as his darker half shut off the link between them. Finally the ambulance reached the hospital and Malik had to climb off first to give the paramedics more room.  
  
"You'll have to stay in the waiting room, son." Said one of the paramedics on the way by. "You can't follow us and your friend."  
  
Malik slightly made a face of being called son again. 'Why don't they stop that?'  
  
He put his hands in his pockets and walked into the hospital, then into the bare waiting room. He sat in one of the chairs and leaned it back, looking at the ceiling.  
  
'Seto Kaiba and the others should be getting here soon...' thought Malik quietly.  
  
He waited a little longer then he heard some familiar voices.  
  
"Someone tell us what's going on." Demanded Yami as he narrowed his eyes and scanned the hallway with his almost crimson eyes.  
  
"I'm sorry sir, but we cannot tell you anything. You will have to wait in the waiting room like the other young man." Said a nurse as she looked back down at her organizer.  
  
Yami guided his lighter half towards the waiting room then stopped at the doorway, staring at Malik. "You..."  
  
Malik slowly tilted the chair back down and put his hands up. "Look...I'm very sorry for what my yami did...I was going to explain earlier...but I couldn't control the circumstances..."  
  
"Considering what you and the tomb robber did...it is definitely not forgivable." Said Yami as he sat down at the opposite end of the waiting room, keeping his hikari close.  
  
"But...oh forget it! You insolent fools wouldn't understand, even if I told you!" snapped Malik as he crossed his arms and glared at the floor.  
  
Joey and Tristan soon entered and sat where Yugi was, while Malik sat alone at the end of the room.  
  
"'Ey." Said Joey, breaking the silence. "Where's Kaiba? Isn't he gonna be here to make sure his girlfriend is alright?"  
  
"He's...taking some time for himself. He left shortly after he dropped us off here to sort some matters." Answered Yami as he crossed his arms. "I'm quite confident that he will be here soon.  
  
"So what's the word about Chikara?" asked Tristan as he looked at the scowling Malik. "You must know at least something."  
  
Malik stayed silent and continued looking at the floor.  
  
"Come on, now. You must know something." Pressured Tristan.  
  
"I know nothing and no one will tell me so stop bothering me!" snapped Malik as he snapped his head up and glared at Tristan. "Don't bother talking to me at all, alright?!"  
  
"Whoa. Okay then. Sorry." Apologized Tristan as he gave the Egyptian a weird look.  
  
The waiting room was basically silent as the normal business of the hospital continued without flaw. It was a good hour or so before most of the group started to get restless.  
  
"Man, I think my leg has fallen asleep." Complained Joey. "This is like déja-vu, ya know? To think we were all, well most of us, were hear after the car accident."  
  
"And you seem to be the only one complaining at this moment, Joey." Said Yami as he gently patted Yugi's head while he slept. "Some things can't be rushed and you can go home if you like. We're all here to make sure that Chikara gets through this alright."  
  
"I'm just sayin...it's just a little weird being back here when someone can die that we know." Replied Joey as he stretched.  
  
The door opened and there stood Kaiba, with his arms crossed. "Any word?"  
  
Tristan shrugged and went back to the magazine that he was reading. "Not even a clue."  
  
There was a sound of someone clearing their throat and Kaiba looked back, seeing a doctor.  
  
"I see this is the same group from earlier this month..." said the doctor gravely as he stepped in the room.  
  
"Just give us the news straight." Muttered Kaiba as he leaned on the doorway.  
  
The doctor straightened the glasses on his noise and looked at the group. "We found two gunshot wounds in Ms. Chikara Katana, one located in her upper right shoulder and one that apparently had a bullet that went through her left side and exited through her stomach. Her shoulder was dislocated when we first examined her but nothing too serious was broken that could not be healed. We managed to seal the places where the bullet went through her stomach area and no serious damage was done."  
  
"Well that's a relief," said Joey as he tried to make a joke. "It looked like she was dead before she came here!"  
  
There was complete silence and all eyes were on Joey. "Whoa...aheh, tough crowd."  
  
"As I was saying," continued the doctor. "She is in good condition but she has lost quite a bit of blood and she'll be tired. Just for precautions, we have hooked her up to a breathing machine and she will be monitored for at least a good 48 hours until we can make a conclusion."  
  
"So you don't know what's wrong with her?" asked Kaiba as he eyed the doctor suspiciously.  
  
"That I cannot answer. But she was conscious just a short while after she was hooked up to the breathing machine. She refuses to reply to anyone or even look at anyone. I'm giving you permission to see her but you must not let her attempt to pull the breathing tube out of her throat. She has already made a few attempts and I gave the order to tie her wrists down loosely-"  
  
"You're treating her as if she were unstable..." said Malik in a low tone as he looked at the floor.  
  
"We're only being careful to make sure that she does not hurt herself. I recognize her from being here a few weeks ago from that dreadful car accident and I am quite sure that she is not too happy to be back in here, knowing that she will never see her parents ever again, young man." Answered the doctor as he eyed Malik. "Now if you all would like to follow me, I will show you where we have stationed the patient."  
  
The doctor walked out of the waiting room and Kaiba followed him first, while the rest of the group got up on their own and followed at their own pace. Kaiba walked into the room first and immediately went to Chikara's side, dragging a chair over to the side of the bed. He sat down in the chair and looked at Chikara's face, as she looked out the window and crossed her arms very carefully.  
  
"It's going to be okay now..." he said quietly, ignoring the presence of the others. "I know that you have lost your parents pretty quickly but to tell you the truth, I lost my parents at a very young age. So you're not the only one. I had to talk with the authorities for a long while and I explained what happened...about the killer and how he 'killed' himself. Things may be a little weird but they aren't going to put you in some group home with a bunch of people you don't know or some insane asylum."  
  
Joey and Tristan exchanged glances.  
  
"What is he talkin about?" whispered Joey.  
  
"I don't know. Something about what is gonna happen to Chikara since she's got no living relatives or something." Answered Tristan, just as quietly.  
  
Chikara slid one hand towards the breathing tube that was in her mouth and tried to pull it out. Kaiba reached over and placed his hands over hers, pulling it away gently.  
  
"Please don't do that..." he said as he held her hand softly. "I'm trying to tell you something very important..."  
  
Chikara kept her gaze towards the window and Kaiba started explaining again. "What I'm trying to say is that even though is that you can stay in your house by yourself without a legal guardian...so to speak. It is sort of like what happened to me but I watch over Mokuba. Basically, someone is just going to visit you once a week to check-up how you're doing..."  
  
Chikara narrowed her eyes a bit and looked back at Kaiba. The two looked at each other silently for a couple moments until Chikara started sliding back to unconsciousness again and Kaiba tensed.  
  
"Relax, Kaiba. She's going to be fine. She's just a little exhausted like the doctor said she would." Said Yami as he crossed his arms.  
  
//Showtime... // said Yami Malik out loud. //Move it or lose it, Malik. I'm taking over. //  
  
/What?! / yelled Malik, starting to edge towards the hospital room door. /Yami, you can't! /  
  
//Oh shut up and stop being a child. // snapped Yami Malik as he took over Malik's body.  
  
Yami growled and turned his gaze towards Yami Malik. "What in Ra's name are you doing here?!"  
  
"Oh be quiet, Pharaoh. I have just a few things to say-"  
  
"We don't wanna hear it, you psycho!" snapped Joey. "You've done enough damage as there is."  
  
"I am NOT finished, mortal! As I was saying...Chikara and her darker side are now separated but there is some damage that cannot be fixed at all." Explained Yami Malik as he crossed his arms and smirked at Yami. "From this point on, until it is noticed, Chikara will not be consciously aware that she has another side to her. Meaning her darker half, that those by the name Sanura. For those who are familiar with the ancient Egypt tongue, that is the word for kitten. I will not be entirely surprised if there are some memory lapses so don't you bother blaming me for any of the damage."  
  
"You're the one that probably put a spell on her in the first place." Said Tristan. "I mean, she wouldn't just run off on her own with you, you know."  
  
Yami Malik shrugged. "I'll leave that little question up to you, mortals. Oh. And one more thing, Pharaoh...if you happen to see Sanura walking about, don't bother sending her to the shadow realm..one of the damages of the two souls separating is if something happens to one, the other gets affected severely...remember that."  
  
Malik gained control of his body once more and looked around uneasily at Yami and the others that were staring at him. Kaiba continued to side by Chikara's bedside and held her hand silently.  
  
"I guess you're going to stay here with her, aren't you Kaiba?" asked Yugi, breaking his silence. "It's okay if you want to."  
  
"You guys can leave but if you see Mokuba, go tell him that I'm staying here..." answered Kaiba quietly. "Just be quiet...you idiots were loud before."  
  
Joey folded his arms behind his head. "Alright, Kaiba. If that's what you want, that's what you'll get. Come on, guys. Let's go."  
  
Joey walked out of the room, with Tristan, Yugi and Yami soon following. Malik stayed behind and crossed his arms nervously.  
  
"Look...Kaiba, I'm really very sorry for what happened. You and the others will probably never accept my apology but I just have to get it out. I didn't mean or want any of this to happen and hopefully, it won't happen again." Mumbled Malik quickly as he edged towards the door.  
  
"The only thing that I want to know is why...why the hell did you let that psycho out in the first place." Said Kaiba quietly as he slowly let go of Chikara's hand.  
  
"It's...just the way he is and I can't do anything about it." Answered Malik as he reached the door. "But I don't think he'll do it again since everything seems...fine."  
  
Silence blanked over the room and Malik left without another word and Kaiba continued to sit and watch over Chikara silently.  
  
[And that's chapter 9 o_O; there is probably gonna be one or two more so be patient . I've had somewhat of a writer's block and it is torturing me x_x so, how did you like this...depressing chapter? O_o still waiting for me to write more or whatever? Tell me .] 


	10. An Ending Nightmare

Chapter 10 – An Ending Nightmare  
  
[Sorry for the lack of updates once again x_x; I have a lot of other fan fictions to work on but my brain has been going on and off at random points when I –want- to write! ;-; Besides that, this isn't going to be the last chapter so don't get your shirts in a knot. Oo; And no, this story hasn't  
been forgotten... yet. Disclaimer: I own nothing related to Yugioh.]  
  
It was another slow day at the hospital as Kaiba waited in the waiting room. Today was the day that the breathing tube would be taken out and he wanted to be the first one at Chikara's side. He ignored the comments of the others, saying why worry about anything and that everything was going to be fine. He had been waiting for the good part of the morning and he was starting to get impatient. Finally, he saw one of the doctors and all he needed was a nod before he was on his way to see her.  
  
"Mister Kaiba, you may see her now." Said the doctor as he crossed his arms.  
  
Kaiba immediately stood up and walked past the doctor, to Chikara's room. He walked in the door to her room quietly and saw her sitting up in her hospital bed. He made his way up to her and sat on the edge of the bed.  
  
"Are you alright?" he asked quietly, searching her face with his eyes for any discomfort.  
  
He held his breath, waiting for an answer... if Chikara would even speak to him or anyone ever again.  
  
"...I'm fine." She answered, looking up at him. "Seto."  
  
"I-" they both started but stopped.  
  
"Go ahead." Offered Kaiba. "You first."  
  
Chikara nodded slightly and sighed. "I'm... alone again, aren't I..."  
  
Kaiba was a little taken aback from that statement and his eyes darkened a little. "Not completely. Look, what happened wasn't your fault, okay? It was the fault of those idiots who were driving the truck. Not yours, nor your parents. I'll make sure nothing happens to you, I promise."  
  
Chikara stayed silent and nervously tugged at the sheets on her bed.  
  
"Come on now..." said Kaiba. "Don't be like that. Everything is going to be okay. All the others are going to be here to see you soon. If there's any problem, I'll take care of it for you."  
  
"I suppose so... Seto, could you get me a drink from one of machines, please?" She asked quietly.  
  
"Alright. Any preference?" He asked, getting a no for a response; then he left.  
  
As soon as Kaiba walked out of the room, Chikara quietly slipped out of her bed, grabbing the thin white bed sheet, as well as a broom nearby and peeked out into the hallway. Knowing that Kaiba had to walk all the way to the front of the hospital, she made her way to the stairway and carefully made her way towards the roof. She winced and placed one hand over her bandaged side, feeling the pain starting to surface again. She opened the door to the roof and was surprised that it opened to the inside. She shrugged and stepped outside and closed the door, jamming the door shut by looping the broom through the handles of the door and the doorway. She sighed slowly and sat down, resting her back against the door.  
  
When Kaiba returned to Chikara's room, he found that it was empty. He glanced around the room with his eyes, setting the can of juice on the rolling table. He walked back out of the room and swept his eyes across the hallways, seeing no sign of her.  
  
A doctor walked up to Kaiba. "Is something wrong, sir?"  
  
"... Have you seen the young woman who was set to this room?" He asked hesitantly.  
  
He received a skeptical look from the medical official and groaned when the doctor found the room empty, starting to get nervous.  
  
"That's impossible. She's not to be released for at least a couple more days!" Said the doctor as he adjusted the glasses on his nose.  
  
As if the sense of timing couldn't get any worse, it did. From the lobby, came Malik, Ryou, Yugi and the others. Kaiba sighed and just walked out of the hospital for some air.  
  
'Not again,' he thought to himself as he looked up at the sky. 'What's with her and hospitals...'  
  
Something caught his eye towards the upper levels of the hospital and he took a few more steps back to take a better look. He saw a sheet almost flying over the edge of the hospital roof then it was roughly pulled back. He raised an eyebrow, letting his mind wander of why that would happen. He walked back into the hospital, past the group of doctors that were going to arrange retrieving groups and walked to the stairs, shutting the door quietly then running up the stairs, almost two at a time.  
  
Chikara sighed, sitting back in front of the door and closing her eyes. 'What am I going to do... everything still hurts and I don't know what went on for the past day or so...'  
  
She inhaled slowly, regretting it immediately as she started to cough violently, holding back little sobs from the realization of her situation. She covered her face with one hand and shook her head slowly, tears starting to slide down her face uncontrollably. Kaiba heard the muffled crying from the other side of the door and ran into it, trying to open the door. Locked.  
  
"Chikara?" He asked, trying to slow his racing pulse down. "Open the door, please!"  
  
There was a quick silence, with exception of sniffling but the door was not unlocked.  
  
"You're not in the condition to be outside yet. They still have to run some more tests to make sure that there is no permanent injury. For the love of god, Chikara, open the door!" Kaiba said more quickly, pressing his ear against the metal barrier.  
  
There was another moment of silence then the 'lock' slowly slid away. Kaiba opened the door quickly and found Chikara sitting there, trying not to cry. He kneeled over to her and embraced her in a tight hug, resting his chin on her head.  
  
"It's okay... I know how you feel... Mokuba and I are here for you at the very least... It's okay if you want to cry..." He said quietly, stroking her head.  
  
Chikara looked up at Kaiba with her tear-stained face. "What am I going to do..."  
  
Kaiba took one hand and placed it on one side of Chikara's features, gently wiping the tears away. "Continue where you left off... Come on, you're much stronger than that..."  
  
Chikara looked down again and footsteps of people sounded from the stairs. Kaiba looked back, seeing a few doctors and Mokuba with them.  
  
"Seto! You found her!" Mokuba exclaimed, pushing past the doctors.  
  
Kaiba nodded, looking up at the doctors.  
  
"Mister Kaiba, we have to bring her back inside. She's not well enough to be walking about on her own." One of them said. "It is a wonder on how she got up to the roof so quickly, even at all."  
  
He nodded again, looking back down at Chikara and whispering. "You just have to back inside... everything's going to be fine, I mean it..."  
  
Chikara stayed silent, more tears falling from the edge of her jaw. She reluctantly got up, wrapping the bed sheet around herself and was guided back down the stairs carefully, keeping her gaze low and avoided any eye contact with people. Her foot slipped on the edge of a stair and she started falling back quickly as she winced from the still weak ankle. Kaiba, being right behind her, took a swift step forward and caught her before her back made contact with the metal step. He gently pulled her back up and picked her up with one arm underneath her knees and one supporting her back.  
  
"It's alright now... I've got you..." He said quietly, making sure his grasp was proper.  
  
Chikara timidly put her head on Kaiba's shoulder as the CEO carried her down the stairs with much care and caution until they reached the first floor. Her eyes drifted over to the worried faces of ones who were waiting for her.  
  
'Friends...' She thought quietly. 'They're still here waiting for me...'  
  
After being carried for a bit, she was carefully placed back on her bed. She sat there quietly, keeping the sheet wrapped around her as she glanced around at the people around her. Malik looked the guiltiest and kept averting his gaze when she looked at him.  
  
"The docs said you're gonna be here for a few more days at least, Chikara. Then you can go home and finally get out of this damned place." Joey said, trying to raise the mood.  
  
"That's right." Yugi nodded.  
  
"So much for half of the summer vacation..." Tristan said before Téa kicked him in the shin. "Ow! What was that for?"  
  
"Don't be so selfish!" She scolded. "You still have plenty of time to do nothing!"  
  
"Yeah, but it's a month shorter now!" Tristan almost whined, hanging his head down. "And that's when-"  
  
"Don't you even start!"  
  
"But it's true!"  
  
Chikara silently watched the two argue about the lost vacation time and looked back at Kaiba, who was glaring cold daggers at the fighting.  
  
"Do you two mind? If you haven't noticed, you are being quite disrespectful... Tch, shouldn't have expected any less from you..." Kaiba scowled.  
  
Chikara sighed quietly, closing her eyes as thoughts of what she should do continued to pester her. She had nothing left and nothing to go back to. '... But that's not entirely true...'  
  
She noticed the room go quiet and she opened her eyes, finding that the arguing had died down and some people had already left... most likely from Kaiba telling them to.  
  
"Chikara..." Malik spoke quietly, causing her to move her gaze to him. "What do you wish to do... after you're out of here..."  
  
Chikara slightly bit her lip, not really thinking of it earlier. "I... don't know..."  
  
"First of all, it would be a good idea for you to get settled back at home." Kaiba said, crossing his arms as he watched Malik warily out of the corner of his eye. "Then... Well there is no need for explanation of what needs to happen next... It all depends on how you want it done, Chikara..."  
  
The hospitalized girl lowered her eyes to her hands. "... They need a respectable burial... but we're not in Egypt... I really wish... they weren't gone..."  
  
"... All you can do now is move on..." Malik replied quietly. "I know it's hard... I lost my mother when I was only a baby... Isis told me... And my father... he..."  
  
"My past is none of his business but you know what we mean, Chikara." Kaiba cut-in, not wanting Malik to go into any details. "Whatever you feel like doing for your parents, it can be arranged... Just let yourself heal up and everything will be alright..."  
  
"... Thank you..." Chikara closed her eyes once more, lightly holding the bed sheet.  
  
The room fell silent and Malik got up from the chair uncomfortably, walking out of the room without another word. Kaiba was the only one left with Chikara and he sighed quietly, slightly catching her attention.  
  
"I have not told many people this..." He said, sitting down on a chair by her beside. "But when Mokuba and I were very young, our parents had passed away and I didn't have the heart to tell my brother that they were gone... We were sent to an orphanage and things went from bad to worse..."  
  
"Seto... Why are you telling me this..." Chikara asked, looking at him slightly.  
  
Kaiba simply put a hand up and continued, keeping his gaze averted. "It had been a long while before I had come up with a plan for someone to adopt us... There was this one man... Gozaburo Kaiba... He was a real stiff collared business man that could not back down from a challenge, even one by a child... I had never lost a chess match with anyone in the orphanage... and that businessman had never lost any competition or match that he played... until he met me. He had visited the orphanage one day and hated it... it was obvious... and I stopped him, challenging him that if he lost a chess game to me, he would have to adopt Mokuba and I; no strings attached..."  
  
Chikara watched the elder Kaiba retell the story of his childhood and she lowered her gaze, saying nothing.  
  
"Of course, he lost because of his own arrogance... and I knew his strategies... He ended up taking us in and he really despised us... Forced me to study constantly and gave Mokuba a really hard time since he was younger. He constantly rejected my programs and ideas for games, saying that he was focused on making war weapons instead of making useless trinkets, as he put them... And he regretted the mistake..." Kaiba paused, deciding to leave one detail out until he thought the time was appropriate. "He...disappeared one day and I took over the Kaiba Corp business, getting rid of all his useless work and started into the gaming industry... made a fortune from it and Mokuba and I have been fine ever since. What I'm trying to tell you is that everyone has had hard times in the past within some point of their lives... All you have to do is get through it and move on..."  
  
"But... they were taken away too soon..." Chikara did not meet Kaiba's gaze. "I won't be able to handle anything without them..."  
  
"That's not true... It just takes time... you'll never forget them and you'll be just fine... Trust me...I know from experience and I'm not trying to be cruel or anything childish like that..." Kaiba sighed. "Just let one thing happen at a time..."  
  
A nurse walked into the room with a chart, seeming to check a few things over before she spoke up in a cheery voice. "Everything seems to be healing nicely and properly but your ankle will have to remain in a hard plastic ankle brace since a lot of pressure was put on it from the past few weeks. Your shoulder has nothing else wrong with it with exception of it needing to heal properly back in place. I'd advise you not to do any strenuous work until the muscles are not stretched as much. Other than that, you're good to go in a few days!"  
  
"... That's... great..." Chikara said hesitantly, less convincing than she meant.  
  
"Oh, before I forget, there are a few release papers to be signed and looked at before we can let you go by Friday. Is there anything that I can get for you before I leave?" The nurse asked.  
  
"No, everything's fine... Thank you again..." Chikara replied, not looking up.  
  
"Have a nice day!" Then the cheerful nurse left with the clipboard to attend to other patients.  
  
"Just try to get some rest and don't worry as much, alright...?" Kaiba asked her, taking a slow glance. "If there's anything you need, just ask me... I'll do the best that I can to help you..."  
  
Chikara nodded as her only reply, shifting her gaze to the window. 'They're really gone... and it's barely been a year since I've been in Japan... I cannot go back to Egypt... I'll just have to stay here...'  
  
[This chapter is a tad shorter because I ran out of ideas unless I wanted to rush everything in one shot xX Sorry about that and if there's any spelling mistakes, I've most likely missed them a lot because I just finished typing this at one in the morning _ I'll try to start the next one as soon as possible yet I have a whole lot of other fan fictions to attempt to update! Sorry for the wait!] 


End file.
